Mahou Sensei Kain! Act 9!
by Chris-Sasami-Bunny
Summary: Slayers, Inu Yasha, and Fairytale Oh My! But seriously... It's just a bit of a mash up in the magical world, so look out, here come the story plot changers.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Prologue

Momo blinked her eyes slowly. She felt extremely fog-headed…she must have been asleep for a long time. She tried to sit up.

"You're awake?"

Momo managed to keep her upper body erect and turned to the speaker. "Shiro-chan…" she murmured.

Hitsugaya 'Shiro-chan' Tôshirô sat in a chair next to the bed Momo was currently occupying. He leaned back against the desk next to her bed hardly looking at her, his arms folded. He was just as he always was…his disheveled snow-white hair, ice-blue eyes, and tiny body, roughly ten-to-twelve years old in appearance, dressed in his shihakushô, sleeveless haori, and the white scarf he'd been favoring lately.

Momo glanced around, and considered her own position. She was dressed in a simple white kimono, the garb usually prepared for guests of the 4th Division, the Seireitei's hospital unit. Her long black hair was unbound, falling just past her shoulders. The room, the furnishings, the bed, the feel of the atmosphere…it had been years, but long ago she had far too frequently been a guest of the 4th Division's 'relief station'. "I'm…back in the Seireitei?" she mused aloud.

"That's right. A magic portal suddenly opened in the sky and dropped something into the Rukon district. We hurried out to investigate and found that it was you. You were unconscious…up until now."

"How long…have I been out?" she asked, concerned.

"Only a day and a half. You weren't terribly wounded…but obviously the fight you were involved in, and the travel you were subjected to, took their toll on you."

"The fight…that's right!" she suddenly exclaimed. "W-what about…Mai? Kagome? Kain? What happened to the rest of them!?"

"We don't know," Tôshirô sighed. "We know very little, really…."

"Just what the rest of the humans are saying," said another Soul Reaper as he entered with a sigh. "It's not good, in any case."

"Hirako-taichô…." Momo's current captain, Shinji Hirako, was tall, with his blond hair kept at a medium-length diagonal bowl-cut. Considering that his large, almost piano-like teeth gave him a unique appearance, he never tried to keep his hairstyle too normal, either. He was dressed as a standard Soul Reaper captain, including the long-sleeved haori.

"Unohana-san would probably insist that you need your rest before we show you anything like this," Shinji continued as he walked up to a TV high on the wall opposite Momo's bed, waving a cassette in his hand. "But I think you'd probably want to know." He inserted the video into the slot underneath the screen, and soon it flashed to life. Momo's eyes opened wide in horror as she began to watch the altered footage of the collapse of the Gateports, and of the 'fugitives' Randis Helam and his associates…amongst which was herself.

"That's not true at all!" she burst out. "We were attacked…by the Obsidian Star!" She gripped the blanket tightly in her hands as she tried to control her indignation. "They must be doing it again…just like before…."

"Take it easy," Tôshirô said with a sigh of his own. "We thought you should know, since you obviously wouldn't be able to rest if we kept it from you. Right now, we know nothing else about them…they disappeared after this incident. Of course, we don't believe any of these reports, but right now, there's not much we can do about it."

Momo thought for a moment, still with a death grip on her covering. "Where are my things?" she finally demanded.

"Things?" Shinji queried with an odd smile. "Not zanpaku-tô? Well, your uniform and blade are over on that table." Shinji pointed; sure enough, there were her usual possessions, the black robes folded nicely and her sheathed sword resting on top of them. "However…what you're probably thinking about is this, right?" He held up Momo's card with a wide grin.

"Ah! H-Hirako-taichô, that's mine! Give it back!" she pleaded fiercely.

Shinji did so. "So…you made a contract with his kid, huh? It's not something you mentioned in any of your reports…or your letters, right?" he continued, casting a sly look at Tôshirô, who merely scowled as he looked away. "Amazing that a shinigami could do that with a human. We haven't told Mayuri about it yet, and that's probably a good thing, because imagine how he'd like to study such a phenomenon…."

Momo, ignoring him, stared at her card. She began to raise it to her forehead. "Trying to contact him with it?" Shinji asked. "I doubt it will work…we're between worlds, after all…."

Momo slowly lowered the card. "I know," she whispered. "But…I've got to do something…." She shook her head. "We were…attacked at the Gateport…by the Obsidian Star. They were as powerful as I remember…they completely overcame us. Then Tear Grants used the gate's magic to send us all away…probably to safety, but…who knows what's happened to everyone else? We even had some of our classmates there who snuck in, who know nothing of the magical world. They could all be in grave danger…and Kain…he was mortally wounded…."

"There's nothing you can do right now," said the captain of 4th Division, Retsu Unohana, as she entered the room. She smiled kindly at the girl. "You still need to finish resting up. We're the Soul Society…we do not involve ourselves in ordinary mortal affairs. We can send out a few scouts, but that's the best we can do…and worrying about it will not help in any way, but only hinder your recovery. And now, gentlemen," she continued, giving her deadly, sweet smile to Tôshirô and Shinji in turn, "dear Hinamori-san needs her proper rest, so she should not be further bothered, hmm? I can inform you when she has proper visiting hours…."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Shinji muttered as he and his fellow captain excused themselves.

Momo sighed and stared out the window. Retsu smiled comfortingly at her, and laid a hand on her arm, causing her to look up in surprise. "There's nothing to be worried about," she informed the younger Soul Reaper. "If he is that man's son, he'll make it through this…and the son of Kalan Lockeheart would certainly be able to find a way to save everyone, right?"

Momo stared, then smiled slightly. "Yes…you're right, of course. Thank you, Unohana-taichô…."

Of course…of course he will…but I should be out there, helping…I owe it to him…to all of them….

8-8-8

Author's Note: Soul Society

We begin this Part by showing Momo's situation. She's not going to be involved in too many adventures for a while, so we'll show her often in these prologues as she recovers and starts prepping Soul Society…and I can't say more. We'll finally get to see a bit about Soul Society and its relationship with Kalan from her perspective….

I decided that dropping her here was the best course of action for her. Most of the time, of course, she takes the place of the swordswoman Setsuna Sakurazaki. The winged girl was originally paired up with Asuna during their travels…which was good, because it helped them 'complete' their friendship and relationship, as Asuna and Setsuna were originally only strangers (Setsuna kept herself aloof from most of the class, of course) and only had their separate friendships with Konoka tying them together…but after the Kyoto crisis and they fought together, they started training together and became closer and better friends over the course of the story. Of course, that isn't necessary here, since in my story I made Mai, Kagome and Momo, the equivalents of the aforementioned three, close friends and roommates already. As I will explain in the author's notes when they appear, it fit better for me to pair Hinagiku up with Mai.

So, I decided to have Momo return to her roots. Later during my plans this proved ultimately fortuitous, as it allowed me to have a reason for Kagome's situation, which will be addressed in Part 9 here. There is a small hole in the logic of my plan's origin, but I have a counter-plan for that as well, and it will be explained when appropriate in the story. In any case, Momo returning to Soul Society and getting their reading on things…it just kind of fit. I intended (and suggested in all of Momo's backstory descriptions, both in-story and in my author's notes) that the Soul Society and Kalan's hijacking of Ichigo's adventure was an important part of his story, and so Soul Society has significance to the story…and having Momo present here will help to enhance that.

In any case, let's move on…beginning with the story of Lina Inverse….


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter One: Adventure! Lost in Arcanus Myrror!

The bandits' camp was full of loud laughter and revelry as the flames lit the night around them. The boss of the band sat in his makeshift throne and laughed heartily as he ran his hands through piles of gold. "You bums did real good today!" he cackled. "This shower of fortune will last a while!" So saying, he grabbed a handful of treasure and tossed it into the air.

Then suddenly one of the towers at the camp exploded into flame. Revelry and rioting was replaced by panic and terror as more flame began to fly around the camp, bringing destruction and chaos. One blast landed close enough to knock the bandit chief from his seat, and he gazed up in fear and alarm as he recovered. "What the hell's going on!?" he barked.

One of his subordinates hurried over and pointed. "Boss, bad news—over there, look!"

The leader gazed in that direction and froze in horror. A shadow figure, lit in an eerie manner by the flames, posed balefully before him. It was a lithe figure, short and slender, but the sight of the cloaked and long-haired silhouette brought primal terror to the bandits' boss. "How did she find me!?" he cried in despair. "That rotten little bandit-killing magic-user…run for your lives! It's Lina Inverse!"

"That's me!" Lina said happily, charging another big blast of fire and dropping it into their midst.

Shortly thereafter she was able to peacefully approach the treasure piles and begin looting the camp.

The beautiful sorcery genius, Lina Inverse, the girl narrates to us as she stuffs her bags, the bane of bandits and all other sorts of miscreants is no stranger to the wilds of Arcanus Myrror. Although she has returned from a brief respite on earth only to be separated from her companions and most of all from her good friend Kain Lockeheart, she is more than capable of weathering this storm. Despite the dangers that beset her, she does not shirk from her responsibility of defeating evil bandits and liberating their treasures! She will continue to do this until she fulfills her quest of rescuing her scattered comrades!

Lina stood and whirled the bag over her shoulder, making a victory sign. Keep fighting, Lina! Never say die, Lina!

8-8-8

The next morning Lina continued down the path, her loot sack slung over her shoulders, but her face was pensive and almost depressed. Man…they've been following me ever since last night…I thought I wiped them all out. Oh well…might as well get this over with….

She ran a few steps further down the path and suddenly whirled around. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" she called scathingly.

In answer to her call, a blue-haired bandit with an eye patch emerged from the woods, a dagger in hand. "So, you got tired of running, little girl?" he sneered. "You thought you could just steal our loot and run off, and get away with it? Well, do you, you little witch!?"

"'Do you, you little witch?'" Lina repeated doubtfully. "Talk about lousy lines…."

"Well, now we've got you…" the man continued. "And now…now…now…."

He suddenly held up his hands placatingly. "Now, I find I really don't want to fight you."

Lina smiled, her mood improved considerably. "Oh, is that so?" She began to turn away. "Well, that's that, then…."

"W-w-wait!" the man insisted, hurrying up to her. "The only reason I don't want to fight you is because I know you'd kick my butt in two seconds!"

"Well, you're not as dumb as I thought you were," Lina answered, only slightly irritated.

"Yes, and you know…what you did was masterful! Swooping in with all that big magic…offing the boss with that flaming torch number…then grabbing our gold and getting out before we knew what was happening! Hell, we couldn't have done any better ourselves!"

"Excuse me, but is there a point to all of this?"

"Me and the boys were thinking, and after last night, we'd really like you to lead the Dragon Fangs!"

Lina narrowed her eyes at the bandit. "The Dragon Fangs?" she repeated. It was hard to say which she found more ridiculous: the name, or the proposal. She turned back away again. "I take it back…you're a lot dumber than I thought you were."

"C'mon, it'll be good times!" the bandit insisted, running to move into her path.

Lina stared up into his face with a cold smile on her lips. "I'm bad, but not bad enough to join a bunch of bandits."

"Well, I love a girl who knows what she wants…."

Why, oh why, can't I, at least once, be hit on by a mature man? Lina thought, a particular image passing briefly across her mind. "Get lost, you creep!" she shouted to the bandit.

The man staggered backwards from the force of her vehemence, then scowled angrily as he drew his dagger again. "What!? I give you such a generous offer, and you call me a creep!? Now, get ready to die…!"

Lina pointed at him triumphantly. "Now that's stock dialogue!"

The bandit stared at her in surprise, then gritted his teeth again and yelled out, "Okay men, get her!"

A half-dozen more bandits emerged from the woods around her, brandishing weapons. Lina looked around at all of them, and then back at the new boss. "That's it? That's all of you've got left? Pretty shabby, aren't you?" She was rubbing it in, relishing her own handiwork.

"What are you talking about!?" the bandit barked. "One word from me and we'll have another couple dozen guys here! Now, if you give us back our treasure and apologize on your hands and knees, maybe I'll let you live."

"Fat chance," Lina replied in a sing-song voice, raising a spell in her hands.

"Get her, men, quick!"

The seven bandits came charging in at Lina as she prepared to fire her spell….

"Hold it!" The command brought the entire group up short. Everyone turned to stare at the speaker, and Lina even let her spell go out in surprise. A new figure was standing dramatically backlit by the sun as he emerged from the trees. Dressed in armor of black over a blue-and-white mercenary outfit was a handsome young man with blond hair even longer than Lina's. His hands were at his sword and scabbard, showing that he was ready to draw. He looked upon the scene. "I won't let you lay a finger on that lady," he declared boldly. "Leave her alone now, and maybe I'll let you live." The man smiled, and light tinged off of his tooth.

"What's that!?" the boss shrieked in even greater anger. "Take care of that fool first, boys!"

The two opposing forces charged each other. Although his sword seemed western in origin, straight, double-edged, and with a very exotic and ornate guard and handle, he drew in an almost battôjutsu fashion and began to go through the brigands like a hot knife through butter.

"I can help…" Lina began, before stopping. "No, wait…this is a perfect opportunity. I'm supposed to be the damsel in distress, so I've got to play the part right…act all helpless and terrified with fright! Eek! Help me, please! Save me, please!"

And that was about all she got before the fight was over. The only conscious bandit was the blue-haired current leader, who sat sprawled out slightly on the ground, his knife broken in two, staring up in complete terror at the noble swordsman as he slowly approached like the Black Death. He held up a hand to futily try and ward off the demon, but the swordsman just reached down, hoisted up his victim, and tossed him into the air. Then he took up his sword in both hands and made a series of swings at an eye-watering speed.

Lina, watching in awe, suddenly started and put a hand to her face, blushing profusely, as she saw the result. The bandit hit the ground naked as a jaybird, bounced to his feet, and fled the scene, clutching at his exposed important vitals. Lina stared after him, then turned back to the swordsman with an appreciative smile. "Not too shabby," she congratulated him modestly.

The man sheathed his sword and turned to Lina. "Are all right, miss…?" he began, and froze as he got a good look at the girl.

He is stunned by my beauty, Lina thought to herself. Oh, the difficulties of being gorgeous….

The man sighed.

He sighs with longing, completely overcome….

"Oh, great," the man muttered. "It's a kid."

Lina did a face-vault. W-what!?

The man turned away and sat on a rock. Putting his chin in his hands, he continued with greater drama, "Here I was, thinking I was rescuing some gorgeous babe, and it turns out to be a little girl…."

Lina, melancholy with her own thoughts, sat on the same large rock, her back to him, thus creating a wonderfully dramatic picture. What's with him? Why can't he see my charms? S-so what if I'm short for my age…and a little…underdeveloped, too….

"But here I was, risking my life for a toothpick…."

Does he even know I can hear him? Damn! Why do they always notice the things you're sensitive about? It's not as if I was even in any real danger...

"Well, regardless, I've come this far, so I should do my duty properly," the man finished almost triumphantly, standing up again. Lina followed suit, and the two turned to each other. "Are you all right, little girl? Are you alone?" He began to look around. "Is your mommy or daddy around?"

Lina began to twitch as she strove to suppress her anger. "N-no, I'm all by myself…."

"Oh…well, I'm Gourry Gabriev, a traveling swordsman! Are you lost, little girl?"

"No…I'm just traveling on my way to Avalon…."

"Ah? Avalon?"

"Yes…hopefully, I can meet up with some friends or something there…."

"I see." Gourry nodded thoughtfully and then raised a fist in triumph. "I understand! I will see you safely to Avalon! That is my mission!"

"Huh? N-no, it doesn't have to be a mission or anything…."

"No, it has to be!" the swordsman insisted.

"Look, from where we are in Dalkia, it's over seven hundred kilometers to Avalon! You don't have to escort me all the way there…." And if 'big brother' here insists on following me every step of the way…I may end up with an ulcer….

"No, I can't do that! As a noble swordsman, it's my duty to help children and any others who are in need of my services. Therefore, I must accompany you!"

Lina sighed. It seemed there wasn't any choice. "Well, whatever…." Well, he may be a bit clueless…but he's honest…and kind of sweet, too. Maybe this won't be so bad….

Gourry, running ahead along on the path Lina had been following, stopped and gazed down the hill. "Hey, there's a town up ahead! Let's stop there! Maybe I can buy you some lollipops or something."

Oh, this is going to be so much worse than that….

"Oh yeah! I forgot to ask! What's your name, little girl?"

She sighed and started after him. "It's Lina. Lina Inverse!"

8-8-8

Lina, a seasoned adventurer in Arcanus Myrror, was easily able to adjust to the sudden change in her surroundings following the scattering. True, she was worried about her old friend, as well as some of her new friends—in particular, Nodoka, Yue, and Ami, who had not only become oddly close friends with her, but were quite unprepared for the harsh realities of this world—but they were of no effect to her situation. She just had to come up with a solution to the problem, something she had already been doing for years in her adventuring.

Kain was, at this point, still sick and lost in a jungle somewhere with Rei, and so Lina had no idea where anyone else was or what their plans would be—whether any of them were alive or dead. She had ended up in southern Halteese, and after identifying her situation, she decided that the best course of action would be to travel to Avalon. There, at least, she would have a probable ally in Queen Artoria Pendragon…at least if the rodent's claims of her being an ally of Kalan Lockeheart could be trusted. By reputation, there was evidence to support the claim, but Lina was a cynic, rather than an optimist, about human nature, and knew that political expediencies could trump emotional bonds. Still, there was no better path for her to take.

And so she wandered into the town (actually more of a large village) of Mattis with a simple goal and a very simple companion. Gourry Gabriev was empty-headed and criminally good-natured, but at least he was company…and he didn't have any truly odious personal habits. She also approved when the first place they went to was an eatery.

"Pick anything you like; it's my treat!" Gourry pronounced generously as they sat at a table with menus in their hands and a waiter standing by.

"Really?" Lina cried happily, and wasted no emotion in taking the man at his word. "Okay, I'll have everything from here to here," she said, running a finger down most of the page.

"E-everything!?" the waiter stuttered.

Gourry, however, did not bat an eye. "And I'll have this, this, this, and this," he said, pointing out his own choices. "Triple portions!"

"Triple portions!?"

Nevertheless the waiter hurried away, and soon the cascade of courses began to be wheeled out to the gluttons. They both ate ferociously, and Gourry's empty-headedness seemed to extend to the point that he didn't think anything of a 'little girl' who could match him in his own exorbitant eating habits.

After they had finished fighting over their meal, a prototypical Village Elder approached them. Leaning on his staff with one hand and coughing dramatically into his fist, the man asked, "Are you by any chance a sorceress, my dear?"

Gourry stared at Lina in disbelief. "You're a sorceress?" he asked in surprise.

Lina glared slightly at him. "Of course. Didn't the outfit give you a clue?"

"Hmm?" Gourry considered her carefully, then suddenly laughed sheepishly. "Oh, is that what it is? I thought it was a school uniform…."

Lina nearly feel out of her chair. "What kind of a schoolgirl wears an outfit like this!?" she demanded angrily.

The elder coughed into his fist again. "Now, now, please don't fight…I just want to know…are you by any chance the famous sorceress Lina Inverse, the Bandit Killer and Dragon Spooker?"

"Well," Lina said, frowning, "I can't deny that, but I still haven't heard what this 'Dragon Spooker' is about…."

"Dragon SPOOCR…it's actually an acronym for dragons 'Step Past Out Of Complete Revulsion'," explained the elder plainly.

"Why, you!" Gourry had to restrain the girl from throttling the old man.

"W-w-wait!" the elder insisted. "I didn't come up with it, it was just related to me." Coughing again to clear the subject, he composed himself and added, "In any case, if you are Lina Inverse, we'd like to hire you to take care of a problem for us."

"What kind of a problem?" Lina asked, calming down.

The old man nodded. "Not an uncommon tale…there is a particularly fearsome group of bandits in this area that has been plaguing our little town."

"These bandits wouldn't happen to be the Dragon Fangs, would they?" Lina asked while he paused for breath.

The elder blinked. "Er, yes…have you heard of them?"

"If it's them you're worried about…don't worry. I took care of most of them, and this guy handled the rest," Lina explained, jerking a thumb Gourry's way.

The man stared at them. Then he began to shake and quiver. "We are free!" he cried. "The dragon is slain! Our town will fear no more! Oh, happy day!" And he went running like a maniac out of the tavern.

Lina stared after him, as did Gourry. They shared a look of confusion. "I didn't kill any dragon," Lina remarked. "Did you?"

"No, I don't remember a dragon…."

"Hmm. Oh well." Lina rose. "We should get moving, then."

"Well…I suppose so…."

As they began to leave, a dark shape suddenly appeared in the sky. It approached the village at high speed, and soon began to circle around. It was a great dragon, black and only two-legged…and it began to flame the buildings.

Again Lina and Gourry stared as the people began to run in rampant panic. The elder reappeared, bursting out of the terrified crowd. "You lied!" he screamed at them. "You told me you took care of the dragon!"

"I said we got rid of the bandits," Lina repeated patiently. "We never said anything about a dragon. You just jumped to conclusions…."

"You imbeciles! With the bandits gone, there's nothing left to control the dragon! It'll terrorize the countryside! Our town is doomed!"

"How did the bandits manage to get a hold of a dragon, anyway?" Lina demanded.

"Their boss bought it as a hatchling at a festival. It was harmless enough at first, but it soon grew to enormous size. The boss raised it with love and care, and he was the only person it would listen to."

"That must have been some festival!" Lina growled as the three sought shelter behind from the dragon's most recent pass. She gazed up at the dragon swooping around over head. "Well, I suppose I can take care of this problem for you…if you can pay."

"We would gladly be willing to pay you five thousand juls," the elder offered graciously.

"Make it a dozen and we have a deal," Lina countered.

"That's highway robbery!"

"Pay it, or this place is an ash pit."

The old man huffed into his expansive mustache. "Fine! Twelve thousand!"

"You're rough," Gourry murmured in disbelief.

"A girl's gotta eat," she said coyly, glancing back at Gourry and winking.

"Some girl…" he answered with a sigh.

Lina leapt on top of the cart they'd been using as a meager barrier and charged a spell. "Fireball!" she cried, tossing it at the dragon.

Fire engulfed it, but the flame faded away in short order, leaving no sign that anything had happened to it. It turned a curious gaze towards her. "Well, I gave it my best," she said, slapping her hands together. "C'mon, Gourry, let's…." To her astonishment, Gourry, his sword drawn, went charging past her with a battlecry.

He leapt into the air and stuck the beast…right around its nostril. It stared down its nose at him for an instant before the pain registered, and, roaring, it began to thrash around violently. Gourry, hanging on for dear life, screamed in panic as he was whirled around. Finally the sword came loose, and Gourry went flying…right into Lina.

As the pair thrashed around, trying to disentangle themselves, the dragon came stomping up to them, roaring. It raised a foot and was about to step on them….

And a strange look came over its face, and it hurriedly stepped over them and moved on quickly, finally spreading its wings and taking back to the sky. The pair stared after it. "Huh," Gourry remarked. "Dragon Spooker."

"Shut up!" Lina responded angrily, braining him and throwing him aside. "Don't you ignore me like just another piece of trash, you overgrown lizard! You don't know who you're dealing with!"

She grabbed Gourry by the collar and cast a spell of flight. She took to the air after the dragon. Gourry, finding himself above the ground in such a manner, clung to Lina in fright…not comically, amazingly. "W-what are we doing up here!?" he demanded.

"We're going to get the thing! That lizard thinks it can make a fool of me!? It's going to regret it!"

"Fine! What do you need me for?"

"You distract it." Lina heaved her leg viciously, throwing Gourry off of her and towards the dragon.

The dragon, hearing, sensing, or perhaps smelling the debacle, turned around quizzically and saw Gourry flying towards him again. This time Gourry's sword took him right between the eyes. As it once again began thrashing around in pain and anger, Lina settled upon a nearby rock outcropping and began to chant.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows. Buried in the stream of time, in thy great name I pledge myself to darkness. Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power thou and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"

Lina unleashed her spell, and somehow, acting on perhaps animal instinct, Gourry vacated the dragon in time, disappearing from sight as he dropped below. The dragon turned and watched quizzically as the spell approached. It vanished inside the mass of spherical blood-red destruction.

When the smoke had cleared, there was no sign of the dragon. Lina dusted her hands off in satisfaction. Gourry suddenly burst out from under a pile of debris and began to cough violently. "W-warn me before you do something like that next time," he insisted with a moan.

"Whatever. We took care of the dragon." She heard a sound behind her and turned to see a rather charred village elder approaching her with a group of equally-charred peasants following him. "Ah, and here's the man himself! The dragon's taken care of, so what about my reward?"

"Taken care of?" The old man began to chuckle madly. "Look at that!" he insisted with a sweeping gesture, indicating a plain of devastation (although marked by an amazing amount of unharmed and relatively unharmed humans—Lina's spell seemed to follow special laws of comical destruction). "Look at the village! You didn't save it from the dragon…there's nothing of it left! You destroyed it yourself!"

"Oh, yeah…haha." Lina laughed nervously. "Sorry about that…but you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs…."

"An interesting theory," the elder said as the villagers behind him began to raise various tools threateningly. "Maybe we should test it out, too!"

"Ah, yeah, I'd love to stay and talk about this..." Lina reached over and patted Gourry on the shoulder. "But I gotta run. You talk to them, Gourry." Then she turned around and started sprinting away.

"W-what? Wait for me!" Gourry started pelting after her as the angry, roaring villagers pursued.

Well, so the beautiful sorcery genius Lina Inverse has acquired an interesting companion to replace her lost friends, a slow-but-steadfast swordsman named Gourry Gabriev. In our first adventure together we vanquished an evil dragon that had menaced a village. And so, bidding farewell to the grateful villagers, we continue on our journey to reach the famous capital of chivalry, Avalon….

8-8-8

"Well, where to now, Lina?"

"Oh?" Lina turned a condescending smile to her companion. "It's Lina now? Whatever happened to little girl?"

"Ah, well…" Gourry laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "If I treat someone who can blow up a dragon and a town with a spell like that like a little kid, who knows what'll happen to me…."

"I see." Lina smiled with satisfaction. "Gourry, that'll make things easier on us. Anyway, we're still heading to Avalon. That hasn't changed at all. Let's see…I think the next town should be Summerill…we can stay for the night there."

"Whatever you say, Lina." He followed her as she began to head down the path again.

8-8-8

Summerill was a decent place, larger than Mattis, and they immediately found someplace to get dinner. And this place also had an interruption for the pair as they fought over their later meal.

A man in a heavy cloak and a hat came striding up to them. The pair glanced up in surprise. "What do you want, buddy?" Lina demanded first.

"You're Lina Inverse…the sorceress?"

"Yes," she said with a sigh, "but I'm done taking offers to wipe out bandit groups and kill dragons for the week. I've filled my quota."

The man shook his head. "No need to worry…that's not what I'm after. All you have to give me is your head." He suddenly drew a hand crossbow from the folds of his cloak and fired it at Lina.

Shocked, Lina managed to avoid the missile by falling over backwards out of her chair. She saw the bolt glowing with magical energy, and it made a small explosion at where it impacted behind her. Gourry jumped up to his feet, exclaiming in surprise. The man dived to the side and rolled, coming up with another hand crossbow as his first cocked and loaded itself in his other hand. Gourry drew his sword and spotted another man rushing in from the side with his own sword drawn and parried the attack.

"What the hell's this about!?" Lina roared as she scrambled to the side, upending another table to serve as a barrier as the man in the hat came in to fire more magically-charged ammunition.

"No idea," the hunter responded. "Ask the people who put the bounty on your head. We're just here to collect it."

"Bounty? Lina, what are you wanted for?" Gourry demanded as he exchanged blows with the other swordsman.

"Beats me!" Lina hunkered down behind her barrier and though carefully, folding her arms and closing her eyes, then rapidly going through several more thinking poses. "I've done a lot of stuff…but nothing I really think would be worth putting a bounty on me," she said finally.

"Convenient amnesia?" growled the swordsman dueling Gourry. "Hell, with what you're a part of, every bounty hunter in Arcanus Myrror will be looking for you! You, kid…you protecting her?"

The other swordsman was middle-aged, large, and with a bald head marked by scars. Gourry considered the man. "I am. I don't know what this bounty is about, but I'm Lina's guardian, so if you're trying to take her, you'll have to go through me!"

"Is that a fact? You're good, kid…it would be a bit of a problem if I was alone, but all I have to do is distract you while my partner gets her!"

The other man finished loading both of his crossbows, then fired two bolts into the table Lina was using as a barrier. They exploded an instant later, sending debris flying….

"Lina!" Gourry cried in horror.

…And there was nothing there as the smoke cleared. All three actually stared in shock. Then Lina slipped in behind the man and put a hand against his back. "Digger Bolt!"

Electricity arced through the man, causing him to flash and convulse in a cinematic fashion until he fell, charred, to the ground.

"Zeru!" the swordsman cried in shock, and then Gourry put him down while he was distracted…cinematically (of, if you prefer, in Soul Calibur fashion, with a surprising lack of blood and lethality).

"So, what now, Lina?" Gourry asked in bewilderment.

Her new companion was skilled, but definitely lacking in the brains department…not that she was too perturbed about that at the moment. "Now, we get out of here and figure out what the hell is going on!"

And so the pair dashed out, before any of the frightened locals could interfere or the authorities could show up and complicate matters.

8-8-8

"The hell is this!?" Lina demanded in outrage.

The pair had hitched the ride on the back of a cart heading out of town hauling hay. She had also acquired a paper giving a report on the 'terrorist group' and noting their bounties.

Like the letters Kain had sent to her (well, to Harald, mostly), this report gave magical holograms depicting the situation. It showed the falsified footage of Kain destroying the Gateport Pillar and listed all the supposed miscreants and their bounties…even though Lina had the second-highest at 100,000 juls, she was not very amused.

"You destroyed the Gateport?" Gourry asked, sounding more amazed than horrified.

"No! It wasn't us! This footage is phony!" She waved the paper in disgust. "If anything, it was those bastards that attacked us! And now they're pinning this on us!?" She sighed and hid her face in her hands. "They got us really good…now what…?"

"Are these your friends, Lina?" Gourry asked, examining all the faces on the poster.

She glanced over at him, a mild look on her face. She gave the question more careful consideration than Gourry was probably even possible of making. She'd never really had much in the way of friends…besides Kain, she'd never really had any. Despite what some people might think, it was not her reckless lifestyle that kept others at bay, nor did she have a 'lone wolf' attitude and actively seek seclusion…it was just something that had arisen over the course of her adventures. Now, she had spent a relatively good amount of time with most of the group…and, yes, an especially great amount of time with a few of them. It was a question that almost didn't have an answer, but as she thought about it, she came to its conclusion. "Yes," she admitted finally. "They're my friends…and right now they're all probably in more trouble than I am." She sighed. "Especially Kain. He's helpless without someone to take care of him. And right now, he's probably killing himself with thoughts about how all of this is his fault…."

She punched her fist in frustration. "We're definitely going to get to the bottom of this. We're going to get back at this Obsidian Star or whoever and prove our innocence! But first…I don't think there's anywhere in the world we can go except for Avalon that could be safe for us…."

Gourry smiled. "Well, I don't really know what's going on, but as far as we have to go, I'll protect you, Lina! That's my promise!"

Lina glanced askew at him, then smiled. "Well then, Gourry…offer accepted. I won't let you forget it now that you've promised…."

8-8-8

The man watched the pair riding away in the area in front of his mind's eye. The image shut off as the man behind him demanded, "Well, Horius, why are we interested in a bounty like this and her little swordsman bodyguard? Is your order in need of some financial assistance now?"

The speaker was tall and relatively thin, clad in cream-white clothes with a hood. He had need to hide his head—in the shadows of the hood, his face could be barely seen by the careful observer, with its blue skin pock-marked by what seemed literally to be dark grey stones. His purple hair that poked out of the hood shone in the light…glinting like metal. A sword hung at his waist…all-in-all, he gave the impression of a very dangerous man indeed.

Horius, an even taller man with long blond hair, dressed in black and blue robes, smiled as he turned to the speaker. "No, this is not about money, my dear Zelgadis. This woman's position is…very special. She'll be useful to me in drawing out a real prize. Don't worry…this will help fulfill your desire as well."

Zelgadis huffed. "Whatever. For now, I'll take you at your word…but I will expect proper compensation for all of this."

"Do not fear, Zelgadis…we always keep our promises. The Obsidian Star never fails in accomplishing its desires…."

8-8-8

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Gourry Gabriev

Well, for my first trick I bring you the immortal series Slayers! The chapter title, and the titles of the subsequent chapters in this part, will follow Slayers' suit…in Slayers, each episode began with a word beginning with a letter of the alphabet, in order…that is, A, B, C, D, until episode 26 began with Z. This happened in the original series, and again in the fourth season (which was actually two half-seasons, Revolution and Evolution-R, but it ran the alphabet through the two seasons together—A through M in Revolution, and N through Z in Evolution-R). After giving one word of that letter (or a two-word phrase initiated by that letter) with an exclamation point, they followed it with a somewhat random phrase, just as I've done here. So if I have about ten chapters here, as I expect to, we will go through until we reach J.

Most of the opening dialogue and such was brought to you entirely from memory (although I did change a few of the word choices and such how I liked). This is the opening episode of Slayers, up to the defeat of the dragon and the farewell to the 'grateful' villagers. After that I deviated to bring the Arcanus Myrror plot into focus.

Originally, I didn't intend to use the dragon part verbatim and wanted to skip ahead to the bounty hunters right after encountering Gourry, but as I looked ahead to the rest of the matters I had prepared, I realized that the best way to develop him was leave the event since it's this demonstration of power that most affects his attitude towards her…at least early on. Terrified of her power, he will happily treat her with respect from now on.

Which leads us to then showing off a couple of minor bounty hunters (most of them are nowhere close to competing with our heroes, as I've repeatedly demonstrated…dangerous bounty hunters will pop up occasionally, but these early episodes in all these arcs show that they are minor nuisances at this time). Parenthetically, I must note that the crossbowman was somewhat adapted from the Demon Hunter in Diablo 3, as much as I hated the cinematic depiction of that class. I mean, using hand crossbows like they were gunslingers…silly. But firing magical bolts from them…not bad. So that's the flavor I wanted for this minor guy. Anyway, here Lina finds out about her situation…and because Kain still hasn't made his declarations, she's come up with her own plan and is acting on it. Eventually we'll get to the point where Kain is making his announcements to his scattered companions…and possibly more (remember, Nanami and Rei are flying around looking for our separated party…keep them in mind, and I'll try to remember them, too). And so….

This is our Slayers hero, Gourry Gabriev. While Lina spent most of the movies with only her fellow sorceress Naga the Serpent as her rival, foil, and companion, the series immediately gave us Gourry. He serves many uses in the series…Lina's sidekick, her bodyguard, and the brawn to her brains, for starters. His stupidity is a running gag, serving first of all as a great source of comedy. In addition, he has the kind of stupidity that occasionally leads him to saying brilliant things that nobody believes…either they don't believe he's capable of thinking up such an idea, or they don't believe that whatever he said was possible, but it turns out to be the truth. In addition, his stupidity serves as a great plot device…since anime cannot easily describe situations and backgrounds without someone narrating the event, in order to keep the audience engaged while the situation is explained, they use the same formula: Gourry is so stupid and thoughtless he doesn't know anything about this city or the reason why they're in a particular place, and so Lina is forced to explain it to him again…usually with amusing heartfelt teenage drama. Usually, after her explanation, Gourry still doesn't understand, or simply wasn't really listening, and Lina punishes him. That's another use for Gourry: he exists to absorb Largo-levels of physical punishment. Slayers is a major comedy/gag fantasy, so he can take huge amounts of abuse but be perfectly fine (and, of course, as noted, his sword is capable of awesome Soul Calibur levels of violence—he cuts down foes right and left, but except for demons that he slices up with his Sword of Light (we'll get to that in later chapters), no one actually seems terrible injured by his attacks. It could be considered that the bandit who was cut to nudity in the introductory stages of the story suffered the very most from his weapons.)

In any case, Gourry Gabriev serves this and more functions in my story. Lina has a bit of a crush on Kain in this story, kind of out of reasonableness…girls, even ones like Lina, are always more romantic than boys, and since she took Anya's place, she has to have that sentiment niggling away in the deepest parts of her heart where she tries to hide it. Gourry was, eventually, her real romantic counterpart, although both are so clueless and/or in denial they Can't Spit It Out. Nevertheless, the sentiment eventually grows, which the audience can plainly see. So Gourry serves naturally as a plot device to distract her from her feelings for Kain, thereby dropping one runner from that very painful race….

But all that is far future. For now, we're going to put these two on hold and move on to another member of the class, pursuing her own anime as part of her magical world adventure…and finally revealing Who She Really Is….


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Two: Bestial! The Cursed Half-Demon!

Kagome could remember the sensation…hanging in that suspended state of nothingness, where gravity and no other force seemed to be able to act on her, surrounded by her companions but with all of them just out of reach. And then they were thrown into some sort of cosmic wind….

And Kagome found herself with solid ground under her feet, and her senses reeled. She collapsed to her knees and tried to stop the world from spinning. After a few moments, she was able to lift up her head and look around blearily. It was…a forest…lush deciduous trees surrounded her in a manner that could almost be considered paradisiacal, shading the land without cutting off the light. The usual, more pleasant forest sounds of chirping birds and softly whistling wind through the trees greeted her. Kagome looked around in surprise. "Is this…the magical world?" she murmured. She closed her eyes and breathed in. Yes, it had to be…her ability to sense magic had been growing so much stronger recently, and the sense of mana surrounded her. It was as if she was near the World Tree, or in Alyssa's or Jynx' secret lairs…much stronger than in 'normal' earth.

"So…Tear-senpai did something and…we were scattered?" She struggled to her feet. "So then….where am I?" She shook her head. "And even if I knew, would it make any sense to me?"

Suddenly the idyllic sounds of the forest were shattered by the footfalls of hurrying feet and loud calls. "The light came from this way! Let's hurry!" Soon several figures burst into view, dressed in the garb of medieval Japanese peasants and holding spears. They surrounded Kagome in a hurry, brandishing their weapons at her. Even through her surprise and nervousness, Kagome could tell that the men were probably even more frightened than she was.

"Now, now…let us not be hasty. Let us get a look at ye…." An old woman, wearing an eye-patch and dressed in the white-and-red robes of a miko, followed the spear-toting villagers into view. She gazed at Kagome and her eyes widened in surprise. "…Who are ye? Why…do ye have that face…?"

Kagome stared back at the woman in surprise. "W-what?"

The old woman waved a hand, and the peasants dropped the points of their spears to the ground. "I am sorry, child…we saw the light of magic deposit ye here, and we thought some demon or other had come to attack our village." She gestured, and, with a few nervous backward glances, the peasants began to head back the way they came. Then she nodded at Kagome and gestured for her to follow. "I can see ye have many questions, child…follow me, and we'll give ye what hospitality we can offer…."

She seemed to have little other choice in the matter. She smiled bravely and nodded. "Thank you…I appreciate it…."

8-8-8

The old woman's name was Kaede, and, as she appeared, she was the priestess for the village of Takamori. Kagome was surprised by the state of the apparently medieval village, but she had plenty more important questions to ask first. Takamori, she found, was located in eastern Halteese…a small, secluded place that wasn't much of note.

"It has not been so, for many years," Kaede explained. "Not since long before ye were born. Takamori was a land of power, where powerful beings once walked in ancient times. Demons could feed on this power by coming to this land, and so the miko of our village were forced to protect it. My sister was the last great priestess of this village…she and her half-demon lover worked together to protect this land. But then, fifty years ago, some madness overtook him, and they killed each other. With her dying breath, she sealed the power of this land so that it could no longer be used." She considered Kagome carefully.

Kagome returned the stare with equal consideration. "That's…an interesting story," she replied. "Now…what does it have to do with me?"

Kaede stared for a few seconds more before smiling slightly. "Ye bear an uncanny resemblance to my long-departed sister," she explained. "So, girl…Kagome-chan…what can ye tell me about yourself?"

The sudden question took Kagome aback, but she bravely pressed on, "I'm…Higurashi Kagome, as I said. I'm a middle schooler at Mahora Academy, back on earth, just an ordinary girl…or at least I was. A…bunch of my classmates and I came to the magical world together with our teacher, Kain Lockeheart. But, while in…the Gateport, I guess it's called, we came under attack, and someone…seems to have scattered us…."

"Mahora Academy? Kain Lockeheart? Those are names that are known even here, to be sure. And…even Higurashi…where do ye come from, my girl? Besides the land of Mahora?"

"Eh? Well…my family comes from Kyoto. My mother…was…Kohana Konoka, heir to the leadership of the mages of the Kansai Magic Association of Japan…although I only found out about that myself recently."

The old woman nodded again. "Yes, as I thought…that does explain a few things…about your appearance and your presence…."

"You're not going to say I'm some reincarnation of your sister or anything, are you?" Kagome demanded.

"No, no…but, distantly, we are related. The Kohana family did come from this village…ages ago. It may be a trick of fate, or something else…but if ye were scattered to the magical world, on its whim, ye were probably sent to the land that has the most ties to ye. That is how ye came to this land…."

"Is that so?" Kagome sighed. "So is there any way to guess where the rest of my friends have ended up? I have to meet up with them all…."

"I understand. Naturally ye have no desire to stay in this quiet, backwater place." Kaede smiled self-deprecatingly as she rose. "We will take care of ye as we can while ye are here, and prepare things for ye to make a long journey…I do not know where ye can find what ye seek, but I would advise ye to seek out the lands of civilization to begin. There, at least, ye may find the magic and other means to aid your search…."

Kagome watched her go and sighed slightly to herself. "Well, it could certainly be worse," she muttered, scratching her cheek. "I could have ended up somewhere hostile, I suppose…." She shook her head. "Of course I'm worried about everyone, but I can't let myself get bogged down by that. All I can do…is start looking, I guess…."

8-8-8

As Kagome tried to settle down in the village, a man in a red cloak watched over it, walking near a well some distance from the hamlet. "What a gift that has been sent my way," he murmured with glee. "The key to unlock this secured treasure dropped right into my lap. I hear that brat Eminus allowed the real prize to be snatched away, but still, after all this time…it seems fate is playing into our hands."

He stepped up next to the well and put a hand on it. His sinister power crawled down the well and into it, where it circled around a collection of bones at the bottom. A watching spectator would see numerous segments of bone begin to glow and emerge from the earth at the bottom of the dry hole, connecting together and slowly growing flesh and other pieces over it. It snaked its way out of the well and coiled around the ground as it finished its regeneration. It fully formed as a creature with a naked woman's upper body, arms, and head, and a huge length of a centipede for a body and tail.

"What is this?" she/it muttered, turning its head this way and that. "I smell…." She glanced over at the man and narrowed her eyes.

"I have given you just a breath of life," the man said easily. "Only a breath…it won't last very long. But, you know this land…you who hunted it before. It is sealed, but what you smell is the key to unlocking it. If you fetch her for me, I can release this land, and with its power you will never fear death again."

The demon laughed, a horrible, almost echoing laugh. "To feel again…to live again…I will chase her to the ends of the earth…."

It dashed away, moving with the disturbing side-winding speed of the centipede, in gigantic form….

8-8-8

Kagome sat in the back of the room she'd been given, practicing some of her magic spells…she didn't have much else to do right now, of course, and it kept her mind off of her many worries and questions. All-in-all, she had to consider that she was somewhat lucky, since there was no telling what she could have ended up in the middle of after the mess that greeted them when they first arrived….

Then she heard the yells and screams outside. Concerned, she went rushing out…and watched in horror as the centipede-demon stormed its way into the village.

A few quick-thinking villagers grabbed spears or bows and attempted to stall the monster, but it moved through all the weapons and anyone that got in its way without any impediment. It smashed through one building and swarmed around the village's square.

Kagome finally got a grip on herself…she wasn't sure what she could do, but knew she had to do something. She held her wand out and attempted to gather her energy, then unleashed a magic arrow at the monster. It flew out…and impacted, as this author is wont to say, with all the power and effect of a rubber band. It did, however, attract the fiend's attention. She turned Kagome's way and stared at her for a moment and then her mouth opened in a wide smile, revealing far-too-sharp teeth. "There you are!" she crowed in triumph. "Now, you are mine!"

Why me? Kagome thought as she dived for cover. Somehow the centipede missed her as it came charging, and Kagome struggled to her feet and started to run.

"Come here, priestess! You will open this land for me!"

Is…that it? Does this thing want to use my power like those guys back in Kyoto did? In that case….

Kaede came running into view, a bow in her hand. She aimed and, with surprising accuracy considering her lack of depth perception, sunk an arrow into the back of the centipede. The arrow burned with holy energy, and that energy, more than the piercing itself, seemed to cause the creature pain and discomfort. Roaring in rage, it whirled around and lashed out with the tip of its tail, connecting with the old woman and sending her flying.

Kagome fired another magic bolt at the creature, yelling at it at the same time. "Hey, ugly! It's me you want, right!? C'mon!" Then, as the creature focused on her again, she turned and ran into the woods.

She didn't know where she was going, but anywhere she could lead the centipede that was away from the village was good. She stumbled at one point, scraping her knees and dropping her wand. She attempted briefly to look for it, but the thrashing behind her growing closely prompted her to rise and continue her fight. Cursing herself for deciding to wear a skirt to the magical world and for dropping her wand, the one little bit of defense she really had, she pressed on into the forest.

She called instinctively on the power of the contract as she ran—although she seemed too far away to contact Kain with the card, the power could be called on, like the artifact, at any time, anywhere, as long as she had it, regardless of the distance between the pair. She had never had much of an occasion to do so before, as she knew she wasn't a fighter and kept herself out of combat, but she had learned enough to support herself, and now, with a deadly demon chasing her, she called on everything she knew….

Finally she stumbled into a bit of a clearing. She tripped and fell roughly again, stunning herself, and as she lay there, breathing heavily and recovering, she began to listen and feel out. It seemed she had lost her pursuer…there were no more sounds of the monster nearby, and no energy….

…Except, suppressed, in front of her. She hoisted herself up on her elbows and glanced up. She gazed in surprise at the large tree in the middle of the clearing. There, pinned to the tree by an arrow, branches and ivy having grown and wrapped around his still form, was a perfectly-preserved young man.

Not a normal young man, by any means. He was dressed in red robes and had long white hair. Most interesting of all, he had two sharp, triangular dog ears on top of his head.

This…boy…he's…alive…but…suspended in time? Somehow she new this, understood it, through her magical senses and all the training she had undergone over the past many months. She could feel his energy, his yôki, sealed away. She approached him in fascination. He had no breath, no stir of movement indicating life, but as perfectly as he was preserved, he was obviously not dead….

This energy…even sealed, I can tell it's like Kenjirô-kun's. Is he a hanyô as well…? He's…different…was he…Kaede-san's sister's…lover…?

And yet…despite all these questions…there's something so very strange…I just have to check out….

She crawled up on the branches around him until she could rest almost level with him. Then she reached out and tweaked his ears in her hands. Sure enough, they felt real and lifelike. "What do you know?" she murmured. Although she now had lots of experience with magic, some things, such as the legendary animalistic humans, were still something she had yet to encounter, and this strange dichotomy of man and beast fascinated her.

She finally turned away and looked back the way she had come. She could feel the energy of the beast heading this direction…it wouldn't be long until Kagome was found. She should probably get away while she could…although she wasn't sure where she could go that would do any good….

Then there was a pulse of energy. Kagome's head snapped back around and stared at the demon boy. Something inside of him was stirring, and he began to come back to life. He finally raised his head and opened his eyes. After glancing around a little, he turned to look at Kagome. "Kikyô…what's this about? What the hell is going on here, anyway?"

Kagome recoiled in shock and fell from her perch, landing roughly on the ground. "Ouch," she muttered as she rubbed her backside. Then she glanced up at the white-haired boy, who glared down at her.

"This isn't like you, Kikyô," the boy growled. "Come on, is this some sort of stupid joke? I ain't laughin'…."

Kagome stared back at him. "Kikyô?" She glanced around and then pointed at herself. "Are you talking to me?"

"Who do you think I'm talking to?" he retorted. He looked her up and down again. "What's with that outfit, anyway, Kikyô? Are you having some sort of strange festival?"

Kagome scowled back and stood up. "Kikyô, Kikyô, Kikyô! I'm getting tired of hearing that! I'm not Kikyô, I'm Kagome! Ka-go-me!"

The boy stared down in surprise at Kagome's outburst, but before he could reply to this, the centipede woman burst into view. She had changed slightly since her last appearance…now she actually had several more arms on her humanoid torso.

"Priestess! I have found you! Now, use your power! Unseal this land!"

The thing charged at her. Kagome wasn't fast enough at retreating, and the centipede-woman slammed into her. She drove Kagome against the tree, pinning her wrists with two arms and putting another at the girl's throat. "Now! Give me that power! Let me feed on it once again!"

"What are you doing, Kikyô? A yôkai like that should be nothing to you. Just kill it…or seal it, like you did to me…."

"M-my power doesn't work like that…!" Kagome gasped. Even she wasn't sure if she was talking to the boy or the centipede. Nevertheless, she managed to free one arm somehow, calling on the power of her contract, and extended that hand to the woman's face, trying to push her off. Another, new fount of energy exploded out of her palm, a holy force that expulsed the centipede and blew half of its arms off. It hit the ground and convulsed in shock, screaming, as Kagome hit the ground on her knees and stared in shock.

"Nice, Kikyô," the boy muttered.

Despite her fear, Kagome's rage took over. She whirled back to the hanyô and spat out, "I told you, I'm Kagome! I'm not your 'Kikyô'!"

"Despite that face and that power? Hard to believe. In any case, just do what you did one more time and you should have that thing taken care of…."

"I don't even know how I did that! Besides healing, I've never consciously been able to use my power for anything impressive!"

"Well, you better figure out how to do it real quick…because she's about to come after you again. Or, if you unseal me, I'll defeat her for you."

Kagome was surprised at this offer. Just then the centipede recovered from her pains and, hissing in anger, turned on the girl. In panic, she ran around the tree, and, somewhat more carefully, the centipede began to pursue.

"That looks real effective," her audience put in.

"S-shut up!" But he was right, Kagome had to admit…right now, alone, she couldn't really do anything. Kain-sensei…Momo…Mai…this entire time I've relied on them to protect me…but now….

Now, it's not as if I can really protect myself when I suddenly need to…but if it's come to this….

"Can you really defeat this thing?" Kagome demanded as she continued to desperately elude her pursuer.

"A weak yôkai like that? Not a problem," the boy replied.

"Then, it's not like I have much choice…." Kagome came running around and leapt back onto the tree. Reaching up, she grasped the arrow that pierced the boy, sensing that it was the source of the seal on him. "I'll just have to trust you!"

She strained, trying to remove the arrow, but it actually vanished in her hand, dispersing into light and mana…and with it went the seal on the half-demon.

The centipede came charging around and leapt at Kagome at this instant…but there was an explosion of power as the seal was lifted, and she was repulsed again. The boy came down, holding Kagome under one arm, and set her aside as he stared at the recovering demon.

"Goodness…I have no idea how long I was sleeping, but I can already feel the aches." The boy flexed his inhumanly sharp claws. "I'll need a warm-up to get back in shape…you'll do, Miss Centipede."

The centipede recovered and hissed at the boy. "A little half-demon…thinks he can take me?"

"The name is Inuyasha. That will be the last memory you'll need to have!"

The monster lunged at Inuyasha, who leapt to meet her. "Sankon Tetsu-sô (Soul-Scattering Iron Claw)!" In sync with the invoking of his attack's name, his claws emitted a slashing wave of yôki that rent the demon to pieces. Kagome stared in awe as the dissolving pieces of the beast fell around her.

"Well…that wasn't bad…thanks…" Kagome admitted, but she started as Inuyasha suddenly stomped over to her and leaned down, sniffing. "W-what the heck are you doing!?" she burst out, withdrawing and clutching herself protectively.

"I guess…you really don't smell like Kikyô…not really…but you do smell really familiar…tell me, if you're not Kikyô, why do you have that face, that familiar scent, and that power that's connected to this land? And what the hell has happened since I was sealed?" The man scowled and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Kagome narrowed her eyes in response. "You're awfully bossy and pushy!" she retorted. "I don't know! Well, as far as Kaede-san has told me, my family is supposedly from this village or something, so I might be Kikyô's very distant relative, but that's all! Now what about you…?"

She trailed off and both arguing youths turned and looked as more sounds came their way. The nervous peasants, striving to work themselves up into a valiant mob, burst into the clearing, and were brought up short by what they saw there. They stared at the pair…and most especially at the red-clad half-demon. Their eyes widened. "T-the terrible demon has awakened! The seal is broken! The legend is true! Th-this is…." And similar exclamations of fright and fear arose from the group.

"Oi…terrible demon?" Inuyasha growled. "That's a bit much, dontcha think?" He glanced around and frowned. "I don't recognize any of you…I'd almost think this is a different village. What's going on here? How long have I been sealed? And stop pointing those stupid weapons at me!" he roared in anger, taking a menacing step forward.

The peasants retreated in abject terror, raising their armaments protectively, but an authoritative voice cut through the uproar. "All right…what is the meaning of this, now? Why do ye bellow so?"

The peasants gratefully parted for the old woman, who stepped to the front and surveyed the scene. Her eye widened at the sight of Inuyasha. "Ye…Inuyasha…ye are awakened? Girl, what have ye done?"

"What's the matter?" Kagome murmured. "He helped me, saved me from the centipede…was it really a bad thing to release him? Is he really the demon who went crazy and killed your older sister?"

"What…killed!?" Inuyasha protested. "Now hold on a minute, I haven't killed anybody! What kind of crazy…?"

"Do ye remember nothing, then, Inuyasha?" Kaede murmured softly. "Perhaps…that may be worse. Who knows when or if it will happen again…?"

"What are you talking about!? And how can you speak so familiarly with me, you old hag…?" He trailed off and took a good look at the old woman. Then his own eyes widened in shock. "Wait a minute! Are you…little Kaede…? It can't be! How long was I asleep…?"

Kaede sighed and turned away. "For now, we should return to the village…I shall explain things to ye as best I can…."

8-8-8

"So, the beast has awakened?" The shadowed man smiled. "This should be interesting…Horius' mark should still be existent on him. It will be interesting to see what happens now…I must watch carefully, however…it would not do for the girl to be killed by him before she can fulfill my purposes…."

8-8-8

"Fifty years I've been sealed!?" Inuyasha growled in disbelief. "And I…killed Kikyô…?"

"Some madness corrupted and overcame ye," Kaede explained. "Ye became as a beast, with no reason or rationale. In that state Kikyô was ill-prepared for ye. She sought to kill ye, too, to save the village, but in the end, she could not bring herself to do so, and merely sealed ye to the great tree with an arrow, where ye have rested undisturbed for fifty years. After that, to preserve the village and the land, she used her dying breath to seal it away, so that its power was wholly contained."

Inuyasha was trembling with emotion. Kagome looked at him with an expression of shock mixed with pity. How terrible…to have done such a thing to someone he loved…and without even knowing it…not knowing how or why…he's….

"How did this happen?" he growled, his voice oddly deep and menacing. "What could have caused it? Who…is responsible!?" Yôki, much darker and more terrible than he had emitted before, began to rise off of him. As he slightly raised his head, there was a red in his eyes that glowed…something eerily inhuman.

To Kagome, the feeling was similar to what Kenjirô experienced and emitted whenever he released his full demon form, but it was far more menacing and…evil-feeling, she would have to say. Kaede jumped to feet in shock and stumbled back. "Control yourself, Inuyasha, it is happening to ye again! Somehow that power…!"

"I…I can't…control it…" Inuyasha growled. "Everything inside of me…just wants to kill…!"

Instinctively, Kagome jumped on Inuyasha, embracing him from behind. "Please, stop! This power…!"

Kagome's power somehow came out of her, and in a flash it began to repress the dark energy rising from him. He felt the darkness drain away from him along with his anger. He felt…subdued. "You…" he began.

Then a dark voice whispered in his ear, "No…this is not enough…let it all out…show all of them what you really are…."

The darkness that he never knew existed inside him redoubled, and came surging out of him. He felt his reason slipping away even as his strength increased, fueled by the darkest recesses of yôkai power. Those in the room felt the sudden upsurge as well…but the power was still flowing out of Kagome, and the two forces of light and darkness were battling, leaving Inuyasha frozen in the eye of that storm.

"Kagome-chan's power…" Kaede murmured. "The land, even sealed, recognizes and reaches out to her…and it is purifying the evil of that dark yôki…." She steeled up her resolve and ran into another room. "Keep him like that, Kagome-chan! I may have something that can help us contain him!"

"E-easy for you to say!" Kagome called back, but she hung on for dear life, trying desperately to figure out how her power was coming out, willing it to continue working.

Finally Kaede emerged with a handful of beads in her hands. She began to chant as she gestured over the pile, which began to take a form that could be likened to the 'ghost' of a necklace. Finally she threw the beads out with one final word of command…and they formed into a necklace and settled around the hanyô's neck.

At that same instant, the dark energy finally broke through, and, roaring with an animalistic rage, Inuyasha threw Kagome off of him. As she hit the ground roughly, crying in shock and slight pain, he turned on her, slowly, menacingly, some part of him still holding the beast back and making his movements slow and almost erratic.

"A command word!" Kaede cried desperately. "To finish the binding, ye must invoke it with a word of command! Only ye can do it, girl!"

"Command word…?" Kagome murmured, looking up in fear at the demon approaching her. With the fright taking up much of her available brain power, she couldn't think of very much, but she saw the ears on the top of his head and the intrigued part of her recalled how very curious those animal aspects were. He was a dog…she had never owned a dog, per se, but had occasionally had friends who owned them and had taken care of the occasional stray…. "Osuwari!" she commanded—'sit', or, as it was usually rendered for us in English to more closely match the lip-synch, 'sit boy!'

The necklace glowed, and Inuyasha suddenly did a face-vault…not a dramatic expression of surprise and disbelief, as is the usual meaning for the term, but he was propelled to fall on his face, almost as if Jynx had used some of his gravity magic on him. He impacted with such force that he slightly cratered the floor of the room. He lay there for a few seconds, unmoving, and Kagome actually feared the worst. As she carefully approached, he suddenly raised his head…and his eyes were normal. The dangerous yôki around him was gone. "W-what was that?" he muttered, with only half his usual venom.

Kaede nodded. "I thought so. This will not cure him…but this amulet of compulsion can at least be used to temporarily banish his dark nature when it begins to arise. Where it came from, I cannot say…but until ye find the way to overcome it, this is the only way he can exist safely beside us."

"Amulet of compulsion…what the heck is this!?" Inuyasha demanded, grabbing at the necklace and struggling to remove it. He jerked at it angrily, but it held firm.

"My sister prepared this when ye first came to us, Inuyasha, and ye were still interested in the power of Takamori…so that she could subdue you without resorting to more dangerous methods should the need arise, but ye quelled your anger more quickly than she suspected. Ye should not fight the amulet…right now, it is as much protection for ye as anything, since it can help to repress your tainted impulses."

Inuyasha stared at her for a second, then released the necklace, muttering to himself. Kaede turned to Kagome. "As I thought, ye have enough spiritual and magical power similar enough to Kikyô's own that ye can use that amulet. I must ask ye two to remain together for now…or we may have to find some other means to restrain Inuyasha."

"I-isn't that a bit much?" Kagome muttered. "I mean…."

"Ye have seen what that darkness within him is like," Kaede replied flatly. "Whether he wishes it or not, he is a danger as long as that is within him…a danger not only to this village, but to any people he meets in this world. Would ye condemn him to another, more terrible fate?"

Kagome looked away. "…No…."

Inuyasha snorted. "This is stupid. The answer is obvious…I just have to find out who caused this…hunt them down…and kill them, and avenge Kikyô and myself. That'll definitely break this 'curse of darkness….'"

"Perhaps," Kaede replied neutrally. "But ye will not find that source so easily. For now, both of you need rest…we will take care of you as we can, out of our respect for you both, for memories, family, duty, and all else, but ye should reason together on your goals…."

The pair exchanged glances and then looked away. "It's not like I don't feel for the guy…but now I'm stuck with him?" Kagome muttered.

"Now, this little brat of a girl has to cling to me just to keep me from going crazy and killing people? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Inuyasha responded to himself.

8-8-8

Inuyasha sat cross-legged on the edge of a jagged cliff some distance from the village. He sighed to himself. Everything had just become so crazy…just a few days ago, he was enjoying his time here…and now suddenly 50 years had past, everything had changed, and he was responsible for the death of the one woman he loved…and now he had to live with this curse, or some other….

He heard footsteps approaching and smelled that same-but-not-same smell…he turned around to see her and nearly fell over in shock. "W-what…?"

Kagome stopped approaching as she saw Inuyasha's sudden consternation. "What?" she demanded crossly.

Inuyasha stared, then burst out. "W-why are you dressed like that?" he returned. "It's disturbing…."

"Disturbing!?" Kagome burst out angrily. She had actually grown somewhat fond of her miko outfit, the white kimono with the red hakama, and now that she was stuck in the magic world, amongst these people, it felt more natural to give it a try rather than sticking to her troublesome skirt. "Excuse me! What's with you!?"

"Shut up," he growled back, turning away. "That's just…not right, okay? Don't wear that in front of me anymore!"

Kagome glared at his back. "Osuwari," she said. The cursed necklace on Inuyasha's neck suddenly lit up with energy, and propelled his face to the ground. Kagome whirled around and stated, "Well! Excuses me for disturbing you! When is my choice of dress any concern of yours? And here I was, worrying a little about you…."

Then a small creature—an insect?—suddenly hopped up to Kagome and jumped up onto her cheek, where it pierced her with a proboscis and began to siphon blood. Instinctively Kagome slapped the side of her face, crushing the insect in the process. The insect, however, did not splat as was customary for such creatures, but it seemed to flatten rather cartoonishly. Kagome extended her hand and the creature floated into it like a drifting leaf or paper.

It was a flea…sort of. Slightly larger than a normal such creature, it had an almost human face (although it did have a 'proboscis'), six very stubby limbs, and what Kagome would swear was actual clothing covering its body. As she watched it, it popped cartoonishly back to form, although it still lay unresisting in her hand. And then it spoke.

"Ah…I just can't resist the blood of young women…especially ones with such powers…."

"A talking…demonic flea?" Kagome said aloud. "Even for a magical world, this is…."

"What's that?" Inuyasha approached in curiosity and stared at the creature. "Wait a minute…Myôga-jiiji?"

"Ah! Inuyasha-sama!" The flea—Myôga, it would seem—hopped to stand on two legs and looked up at the dog demon. "After all this time! I've finally found you! It's true, you've finally been released from your imprisonment…."

"Really?" Inuyasha said dryly. "Have you been looking for me all this time? You avoided being with me whenever there was danger around—which is pretty much all the time—and only come running to me if there's a bigger danger around. So, what is it this time?"

"How could you say that?" the flea protested. "Inuyasha-sama, I am the faithful servant and retainer to your family, and have been ever since the days of the Inu no Taisho! To accuse me of…."

"Yeah, yeah. Get to the point, Myôga-jiiji," Inuyasha grumped.

"What's this about?" Kagome asked curiously, trying not to be too intrusive into this strange conversation, but simply bursting with confusion.

"Ah!" Myôga turned to Kagome and gave a little bow. "Ojô-sama…I am Myôga, the faithful retainer to the Inu no Taisho, former demon lord of the western lands and father to Inuyasha-sama. Of course, I was not with the lad fifty years ago when he was sealed, much to my shame, although I doubt I could have done anything to prevent it. So during these last fifty years, I have been trying to track down the reason behind the curse that fell upon Inuyasha-sama…the source of it, as it were. And, well, it has been a terrifying and harrowing journey….

"But in any case, I was near here yesterday when I felt the power of Inuyasha-sama's release, I came hurrying to his side! I have so much to share….

"But, uh, first, ojô-sama…how much did you have to do, exactly, with the destruction of the Gateports?"

"What?" Kagome responded indignantly. "Nothing. What's that about?" Besides the semi-accusation in the question, it recalled the horrible memory of that battle in the Gateport.

"Ah…well…." The flea had a green sack tied around his shoulders, and slung it over and began to rummage through it. "Actually, I have something about it, right here…here we are!" He removed a large wad of cloth that seemed larger than his entire bag and began, with difficulty, to unfold it. Finally Kagome took it from him and finished the work...and activated the advertisement to receive the same phony message about the party's supposed destruction of the Gateports.

"This isn't true!" Kagome shrieked. "We didn't…it must have been them!"

"'Them', who?" Inuyasha demanded.

"The Obsidian Star! We just came over from earth, and they attacked us in the Gateport! And now we're getting blamed for it…?" She shook her head. "This is terrible…."

"The Obsidian Star, you say?" Myôga muttered. "Really? Oh, well, I guess that's not surprising…but what terrible news…." The flea seemed quite bothered by this.

Inuyasha turned on him with narrowed eyes. "Yes, Myôga-jiiji? What is this 'Obsidian Star'? Do you know something about it, too?"

"No! Nothing at all…."

Inuyasha picked Myôga's head between his thumb and forefinger and began to squeeze him. "My-o-ga…" he intonated harshly.

"N-no! I-it's just…they're the people responsible for…for your curse…."

"What!?"

Myôga was finally coaxed into telling…'all that he had learned' during the last fifty years.

"Kagome-sama can probably tell you all about the Great War of twenty years ago and how the Obsidian Star was involved in it all," Myôga explained. "But their history goes far beyond that…how far, I'm not certain. I haven't been able to find out everything, but the Obsidian Star, at least its power base, is something completely inhuman. They aren't mazoku, however…something close, but…not of this or any other realm known to the people of this world. They've been working behind the scenes for hundreds of years, largely in Kanev, but all around Arcanus Myrror. I don't know all their machinations, but I did discover that they wanted the power of the land of Takamori. Perhaps Kikyô-sama sensed that when the madness overtook you…and that's why she sealed it…."

"What about that centipede-demon that attacked me?" Kagome said. "It was trying to get me to unseal Takamori with my power. Does that have something to do with the Obsidian Star as well?"

"Perhaps…probably, even…oh dear." The flea hopped up and re-tied its sack, then slung it over its back. "And, now that I think about it, I have many other things to check out, so…."

"Wait a minute!" Inuyasha grabbed Myôga's head again and held him firm. "Going to run off now that you've realized there might be danger? Fat chance! Not until you tell me how I can find the Obsidian Star!"

"T-tell you how to find them?" Myôga sputtered in protest. "You can't, Inuyasha-sama! There's no way you can do something so dangerous, especially since the curse on you hasn't been contained…!"

"Then what am I supposed to do!? I'm not going to sit around and wait for this 'darkness' to consume me! At the very least, I'm going to get revenge for me and Kikyô!"

"T-then…at least we should do what we can to contain the curse…!"

Inuyasha was brought up short by this and dropped the flea back to the barrel he had been speaking from. "Contain the curse?" Kagome asked. "Do you know a way?"

Myôga composed himself. "Yes, in fact. Inuyasha-sama's father, the Inu no Taisho, made preparations. You see, the father's demon blood was too powerful, too strong for a half-human to inherit as much of its fullness as Inuyasha-sama did. There was always a threat that Inuyasha-sama could be consumed by the power of his own yôkai blood and turn into a mindless beast. So the Inu no Taisho made an artifact of his own body that would serve to contain that blood. We must recover your father's fang, the Tetsusaiga (Iron-Smashing Fang); the curse on you is effective because it stirs up that yôkai blood, and the Tetsusaiga's ability to suppress and pacify that blood will effectively nullify the curse as long as you keep it."

Tetsusaiga? Kagome thought. That name sounds…similar to the Tenseiga….

"My old man…made an item like that for me?" Inuyasha muttered. "Well…I don't care about anything that old fool left for me, but if it can help me out…I guess I'll take it. Where can I find it?"

"It is hidden in the resting place of your father's bones…a land between this world and the Soul Society, known as the Black Pearl. And the entrance to that place was hidden…in your own eye."

Inuyasha stared in shock. "Huh?"

"I guess I should just demonstrate it. Are you ready?"

He made signs with his four hands (impossible to discern due to his size), and he leapt onto Inuyasha's face. Suddenly the pupil of his right eye seemed to enlarge…and then to emerge, like a bubble or balloon, from Inuyasha's eye. It rose into the air, separating itself into a black sphere, expanding as it went. Finally it stopped, perhaps ten meters in the air, a sphere about 3 meters in diameter.

"W-what is that?" Inuyasha demanded, clutching at his 'stricken' eye.

"That is the Black Pearl…the graveyard of your father," Myôga explained. "Well, shall we go?" And he leapt into the black sphere.

"H-hey…wait!" And Inuyasha leapt after him.

Kagome briefly stared…Myôga, tiny as he was, disappeared almost immediately, but she had a better view of what happened to Inuyasha. The hanyô seemed to shrink at far too great a speed as he approached the sphere, and seemed to be sucked into it. Gathering her own courage, she made her own leap of faith….

…And experienced a sensation similar to what she had come upon her earlier, when she had been cast to the dimensional wind. This time, however, she was surrounded by the sensation of guidance as she was led to a new world. She appeared in the air above a strange landscape, and was immediately descending slowly towards it.

And it was a graveyard, of sorts…bones littered a deep depression in a forested landscape, and most prominent of all, rising bigger than life, bigger than any conceivable lifeform, was a giant skeleton dressed in outrageously large samurai armor. The bones clad by the ô-yoroi were in a mostly humanoid form, but the skull was of a rather canine shape.

"Is that…?" Kagome asked after she touched down next to Inuyasha and Myôga.

"The body of the Inu no Taisho," Myôga said almost with reverence. "His true form was that of a massive dog, but he could freely assume the form of a normal human."

"I can understand why such yôki would be impossible for a mortal human to keep," Kagome murmured. "From his size…and his still-remaining yôki…I can tell…."

"Whatever," Inuyasha grumped. "Now, where's this 'Tetsusaiga', Myôga?"

"This way…in the lord's body. Follow me." With great leaps and bounds, Myôga moved forward. There was a ramp-like ledge that seemed to lead to the side of the great skeleton's torso, and Myôga started up that path. His two larger companions followed after him.

8-8-8

"The Tetsusaiga," the red-cloaked man murmured. He shook his head. "No, no, that won't do at all…if he gains that kind of power, this unique chance I've been given will slip away. But, what a clever home…I can't penetrate it. So, I guess I'll have to call a companion who can….

"Come, Baigajin."

A small, red wisp of smoke suddenly manifested and expanded…into a tiny imp-like creature. It huddled in the air as it turned its gaze to the man. "Yes, master Kalovus?"

"That space." Kalovus jerked his head towards the Black Pearl. "Infiltrate it. You may kill the red-robed hanyô, but you must bring the girl back to me alive. Understood?"

"Yes, my master." The imp bowed, then returned to its red smoke form. It then wafted its way into the dark space of the Black Pearl.

8-8-8

"This is…not quite gruesome," Kagome commented.

It was almost like a chamber inside the massive ribcage of the departed demon. It was filled with earth…and bones. According to Myôga, the bones of many evil demons that the Inu no Taisho had defeated and consumed. But of chief interest, in the middle of the chamber, was a sword…stuck amidst a great pile of bones. It was a katana, dull and rough-edged and old and battered.

They approached the sword curiously. "This thing?" Inuyasha demanded. "This old piece of junk is supposed to be the great sword my oyaji left for me?"

"Er, yes…it should be," Myôga said uncertainly.

"I thought you said you knew all about this!" Inuyasha snapped at the flea.

"W-well, I was told about it, but…I was just…elsewhere when it was forged and…."

"In other words, you don't really know anything, do you!?"

While the pair argued, Kagome examined the sword carefully. Although it looked unimpressive, it did bear a striking resemblance to her own sword, Tenseiga….

"Well, whatever," Inuyasha sighed. He turned and climbed up the small mount and reached for the handle. "I guess since I'm here I might as well take it…."

He grasped the sword…but could not pull it free. Growling in mounting anger and frustration, he pulled harder and harder, straining, but could not move the blade. "What the hell!?" he cried in outrage.

"Maybe he's not the true king of Britain?" Kagome muttered. Then, as Inuyasha released the sword in disgust, she wandered over to inspect it more closely.

As Inuyasha newly began to berate the flea, a hissing voice cut through his rants. "You cannot…harness the power of that sword? How lucky…for me…."

"What? Who's there!?" the dog-demon barked, glancing around. Then they all sighted the little red imp, sitting on a ledge above them, one leg dangling and the other crossed over it. It was naked but nearly featureless, with three digits on its claw-like 'hands' and 'feet'. It had a long, barbed tail, and a long face with a small mouth, large black eyes and no nose or ears. A small multitude of tiny horns dotted its head instead of hair.

"The son of the famed and feared Inu no Taisho," the imp muttered. "Long was he a mark of fear to us. But it seems that his mutt of a son does not share his power…."

Inuyasha growled and flexed his claws. "Do you want a taste, runt?"

"A puppy of a mutt is no threat to Baigajin," the imp replied, almost blandly. "Struggle or not…your grave will be here, with your father's."

"Yeah, right!" Inuyasha leapt up at the imp. "Sankon Tetsu-sô!" The imp vanished before Inuyasha's attack obliterated the section of terrace above.

It reappeared down below as Inuyasha touched down again. "Violent and short-tempered…so pitiful," it continued, still with minimum emotion.

"Try again!" Inuyasha charged in, one fist raised. The demon raised its hand, and its left arm enlarged almost grotesquely until it was twice the size of Inuyasha's when he arrived. It caught his punch easily and gripped his hand.

"Size isn't everything," the imp squeaked. Then the rest of its body began to catch up with its arm. "But it does help, doesn't it?" it growled in a deeper voice. Now twice Inuyasha's size, it picked him up easily and hurled him across the chamber. It then continued to grow until it occupied a large portion of the chamber. "Now, I will step on you like the flea that you are…."

And speaking of the flea…. "Well, it's been fun, my friends, but, uh…I have other business elsewhere!"

"Hey, wait a second!" Kagome protested. "You can't just leave us!"

The flea settled its bag again and turned away. "Sorry! You'll handle this better without me!" And with a few hops, he was gone.

Inuyasha, unaware of his cowardly subject's flight, picked himself up and wiped off his lip. "What the hell…the runt can sure get bigger. But if 'size isn't everything'…we should also say 'the bigger they are…'!" He charged in recklessly, and Baigajin's tail whipped around and sent him flying.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried in alarm, jumped off the mound…taking with her, amazingly, Tetsusaiga. She had placed a hand on it earlier, and, in her shock at the situation, she hadn't removed it. And now, without thinking, she had done what Inuyasha with all his force hadn't been able to do. She stared at it in shock. "Eh?" she said.

Baigajin gave a rumbling sound that was perhaps a sigh, but Inuyasha, after staring for a moment, charged forward with a cry of mixed annoyance and relief. "Quick! Give it to me, now!"

Kagome timidly handed over the blade, and Inuyasha snatched it up triumphantly. "Now, let's see what this sword can do!" Raising it above his head, he leapt at the monster again….

And futily beat the sword against Baigajin's upraised arm. The blunt blade didn't so much as scrape his skin. Baigajin knocked him away again. "You may have freed that blade, but you can't access its power…and that tiny twig is nothing but a toy without its power."

As it turned to pursue him, a skull flew up and cracked it against the side of its head. The skull itself was a terribly puny missile to its enormous bulk, but it left a burning sting from the holy energy that had enveloped it. It turned its enormous head to stare at Kagome. "Hey, you big, overgrown rat! Pick on someone your own size…."

"Someone…like you, little priestess?" The beast moved its ponderous form to more fully regard her. "I am not supposed to harm you, but if you continue to be a pest, I will have to take steps…."

It raised a hand, and magic energy shimmered as a spell formed. Kagome, showing good presence of mind, turned and began to run for cover. Futilely, however; a spray of energy began to descend on her at speed, far greater than she could flee….

"Kagome!" Inuyasha dashed in and snatched up Kagome, diving to safety and rolling underneath a small balcony-like section of the chamber.

"What the hell are you doing!?" he continued as they came to a rest. "Why are you attracting its attention!?"

"B-but I've got to help!" Kagome protested. "You can't do it alone!" She quickly examined him and saw the multiple wounds that covered his form, particularly from the latest attack that he had rescued Kagome from. "And you're hurt! I should at least heal you…."

"No, I'm fine right now! I can take this much! You should just sit there and let me protect you!" So saying, rested his new sword on his shoulder and marched out of their cover to confront the giant demon again.

Kagome stared after him. "Did he just say…he'd protect me?"

Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga to the monster. "Okay then, you overgrown swamp rat! I don't care how many times I have to try, you're going down!" Then the sword suddenly pulsed with energy. Inuyasha stared at it in shock. "What…?"

The sword was now releasing yôki, and the energy that poured forth began to mount in power. Then, as the energy built to a crescendo, it moved from the guard to race up along the blade, transforming it as it traveled. The guard began a kind of fur collar around the blade, and the blade grew to enormous size, becoming a massive scimitar-like weapon that should have weighed too much to hold. Inuyasha stared at it shock. "This is…a fang?"

The monster gave a deep hiss. "It has awakened…." It raised another claw and began to charge another spell.

Inuyasha turned to the demon and leapt at it. With a massive jump he slashed open the giant arm from palm to shoulder, and then finished it off with a great slash that finished taking the arm away and sent it crashing to the ground. Seconds later it regressed to its original form, a pathetic, tiny, now one-armed imp.

"C-curses…" it growled as it attempted to crawl away. "Overcome…at the last…."

Inuyasha stepped up to it…and silenced it with a final stab.

Kagome stared in awe at Inuyasha and his new sword. Inuyasha turned to her, and, with a grim smile, rested the back of the sword against his shoulder.

8-8-8

The black warp in space appeared once again in the mortal world, and Inuyasha and Kagome emerged from it. As they settled upon the ground, the space contracted until it became a tiny black orb, and then it floated down to the dog-demon, finally entering his eye and once again becoming his pupil. Inuyasha put a hand over his eye for a second. "So…that was oyaji's grave, huh? Rest in peace, you old man…."

"Ah! Inuyasha-sama! It seems you were successful…."

Myôga the flea came hopping up to Inuyasha, but as he came near the hanyô's head Inuyasha turned, reached out, and snatched the little creature between thumb and forefinger. "So…Myôga-jiiji…Kagome told me what happened. The minute it seemed I was losing, you ran away, huh?"

"I-I was just making sure someone would be able to tell what happened…y-you know…j-just in case…i-in any case, you've mastered the sword now, right?"

"Yeah…about that…." Inuyasha frowned and put his hand on the handle of the sword. It had returned to its original state—which Kagome, from her experience with Momo, tended to think of as the 'sealed' state—after the fight, and Inuyasha placed it in a scabbard that had been resting against the mound that the sword had originally been sealed in. Kagome could feel magic coming from the scabbard as well, and wondered what traits it had. She continued listening as Inuyasha explained, "After the battle, Tetsusaiga returned to this form and won't change back. Well, it fits better in the scabbard like this…."

"Ah! Yes, of course," Myôga said, freeing himself. "And it's good to have the scabbard, too. It has power of its own, and is really a piece of the Tetsusaiga's power itself. It is a fine blade, and should serve you well. As for releasing its power…."

"Maybe he has to use a release phrase and call the sword by name?" Kagome asked. "That works for Momo and Kajirô-kun…."

"No, no…this isn't a hinigami's blade," Myôga said as Inuyasha regarded Kagome quizzically. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. I should probably go find Tôtôsai, the one who made the sword, and ask him about it…."

"Why don't you do that?" Inuyasha growled. "You could have used some of the fifty years I was sealed to find out more useful stuff about this sword, you know…."

"Er…yes, yes, I know…."

8-8-8

Later that evening, Kagome sat in conference with Kaede about the matter.

"You understand about the sword, Kaede-san?" Kagome asked with wonder.

"I have heard of similar weapons, and I can feel the mesh of its power," Kaede affirmed. "The Inu no Taisho is famous for his works. He ruled a small kingdom in the west, and treated his yôkai and human subjects with equal justice and fairness. He cared deeply for humans, which was unusual for the powerful members of his kind…and he had the sword of his fang, Tetsusaiga, constructed in such a way. It is made with yôki, but at the same time it repulses yôki…only yôki and human ki together can unleash its power, so a hanyô like Inuyasha is the only one who can wield it. Furthermore, it is the nature of swords of the like, swords with wills of their own, to only release their power for those who share a like mind."

"Share a like mind?" Kagome mused. "You mean, they have to have…compatible wills…?"

"That is right…."

"You should just sit there and let me protect you!"

I see…and if the Inu no Taishô cared for humans, and had a half-human son, then that means the key is….

8-8-8

Inuyasha sat at his strange place, sitting cross-legged under the tree near the edge of the little edifice. He had the Tetsusaiga out and was swinging it experimentally. There was no sign of it changing forms to its large, empowered form, but he still had a pleased smile on his face and watched it hopefully.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said as she approached. For some reason, she had decided to wear her school uniform now, and had changed into it…although the colors were similar, at least it wasn't the miko outfit that upset Inuyasha.

He turned to her in surprise. "Eh? Kagome? What is it?" He turned back and resumed his swordplay.

"Would you like me to tell you how to unleash Tetsusaiga's power, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"What?" He turned back to her, his eyes glinting. "You know? Then tell me!"

"First, let me ask this: do you promise to protect me?"

Inuyasha blinked in surprise. "Huh? What?"

"C'mon! Do you promise to use that sword to protect me?"

Inuyasha stared at her for a few moments more, then turned away haughtily. "Don't be ridiculous! This sword is far too important to use for some purpose like that! I'll tell you what this sword is for! It's for getting revenge against the people who've wronged me! This sword will finally allow me to possess the power of a true yôkai…so no one will ever again look down on me like that…."

Kagome scowled at him. Finally she turned herself away. "Osuwari," she said, quietly but succinctly. The enchanted necklace around Inuyasha's neck flared, and he fell face-first to the ground. He lay there, stunned, as Kagome walked away.

"H-hey…" he offered weakly as he watched her go. "W-what about the sword? Are you going to tell me how to use it? Hey…!"

8-8-8

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Inuyasha

And so Kagome has her adventure in the opening chapters of Inuyasha. Don't let the name of the anime fool you…Kagome is the main character of that series, its primary protagonist. Similar to Lina's Slayers intro, I used an approximation of the original anime to set up Kagome's adventure. I speeded it up, skipping a few events to get Inuyasha to his sword, but this was necessary because 1) it was long enough even with the missing pieces, and 2) many of them revolve around the Shikkon no Tama (Jewel of Four Souls) which doesn't exist in this universe. While I like the story of Inuyasha, the base behind it is not one I want to have in this universe. Instead of the mad demon Naraku existing and acting solely because of a bandit's obsession with Kikyô, the story behind Inuyasha and his former lover is tied to the evil behind all of this, the Obsidian Star. To replace the Shikkon no Tama as an item of power that brings interest to Kikyô's domicile, I'm borrowing Kekkaishi's land of power concept (since I've tied them, that is, Kekkaishi and Inuyasha, together anyway). Demons sought the land of power, Takamori, in order to feed on the energy it produced and grow stronger, and this land also attracted the half-demon Inuyasha…but Kikyô repulsed him constantly. Eventually he returned more peaceably, out of curiosity, and developed a relationship with her….

Instead of Naraku creating a tragic scene of betrayal between them, the Obsidian Star interfered with this relationship, hoping to get their hands on Takamori's power for their own purposes, but Kikyô, understanding their intent, sacrificed herself to put a stop to it. And, of course, instead of having Kagome be the reincarnation of Kikyô, as she was in the original, I am simply having her mother's family come from this land, thereby (lamely) explaining her supposed resemblance. I've never been fond of reincarnation…particularly when they decide to resurrect the original life as a separate entity….

8-8-8

_This is the rather classic image of Inuyasha posing with the massive sword resting casually on his shoulder (real men wield swords twice their size). Inuyasha is a complex character, raised by his human mother (a noblewoman, it would seem, not, apparently, from the kingdom that his renowned father supposedly ruled, as his mother, having borne a child from a demon, was thereafter a pariah in her land, and Inuyasha was treated no better). Similar to FMA's Elrics, he never really knew his father and despised the man who had apparently abandoned his mother. It also didn't help him that he had a full-demon half-brother, Sesshomaru, who utterly despised him and tried to ill him. Hated by both worlds for being fully neither, he sought (originally) the power of the Shikkon no Tama in order to become a full demon so he could have power to crush those who despised and hated him. Of course, Kikyô's strange acceptance of him changed all that…until Naraku killed Kikyô (in the guise of Inuyasha, after attacking Inuyasha as Kikyô), thus setting the two on each other). As I said, this is similar, but with the land instead of the jewel, and the instrument of the break being a curse on Inuyasha. Even this isn't too original…in the real series, Inuyasha constantly had to battle the demonic portion of himself, and Tetsusaiga existed, among other reasons, in order to aid with that.

Well, Kagome's portion has been started, and her adventure has begun. Now we turn to little Nodoka, who been placed in an entirely different anime altogether….


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Three: Comrades! Welcome to Fairy Tail!

August 19th (?). Well, here I am…alone in Arcanus Myrror…we all came together, the seventeen of us, but immediately we were attacked by that terrible boy, Eminus, and his comrades in the Obsidian Star! And now we've escaped them, but we've all been separated…I'm all alone in Arcanus Myrror now, without Yue, or Ami, or Lina-san, or Mai-san, or Momo-san, or anyone….

Well…not totally alone, now….

"Okay, where do we go from here, Nodoka-chan?" Erza asked the girl.

"Let's see…." Nodoka consulted the main tome of her artifact, where she had the information they required. "Up this hallway…there's a button on the right wall…."

"Ah! Here it is!" Natsu announced.

"W-whatever you do, do not press this button…."

"But I just did…" Natsu whined.

Slots in the walls opened on both sides of the adventurers and, naturally, arrows began to rain down on them. They dodged aside desperately to avoid them. Then Nodoka and Lucy collided with each other and collapsed, dazed, on top of each other. As more arrows came at them, Erza moved in front and cut arrows to pieces with her sword.

As Happy flew around desperately, Natsu grew tired of the exercise and drew in a deep breath. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He exhaled a blast of fire that melted the holes on one side of the wall closed.

Meanwhile, Grey took care of the other side. Putting his right fist into his right hand to form his magic gesture, he gathered his power. "Ice Make Wall!" And a row of ice sealed over the arrow slots, leaving the party once again safe.

"Whew! That was exciting," Natsu remarked, wiping his forehead. "That was a little dangerous, in fact."

"Heh," Grey snorted. "It wouldn't have been dangerous if you'd listen before acting every once in a while, you stupid lizard. You could have gotten Lucy or Nodoka-chan hurt…."

"You wanna start something, you exhibitionist!?" Natsu retorted, and two were instantly grinding their faces together.

Erza coughed loudly and glared at the pair. "Are you two going to start fighting and bothering the party now?" There was a deadly look in her eyes and she cracked her knuckles. "You're scaring our new friend, you know…."

"No, we're good!" the pair replied in unison, swiftly converting to 'We're Best Friends, Really' mode.

"They're not scaring her as much as you are, Erza," Lucy remarked to herself, too low for the older girl to hear.

"Aye!" Happy replied.

A short time later, they were moving down another passage. "T-there should be another button on the right wall again…" Nodoka explained.

"Ah, and this time I won't push it," Natsu declared.

"Do not pass this button without pushing it."

"But I just did…" Natsu whined, and, indeed, he was several steps past the button.

The floor underneath them opened up and dropped them…into a pool. The pool was in a deep pit, and the upper walls began to fountain them with more onrushing water, quickly putting all of them in a dangerous position…except for Happy, who was flying safely above, making pathetic panicked sounds as he watched the peril of his comrades.

Lucy grabbed the keys at her belt. "Open!" she choked out. "The Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

A light shone, and a rather traditional mermaid with long blue-green hair and holding a large golden urn in her hands appeared. She smirked at Lucy. "My, aren't you in trouble?" she said.

"F-fine!" Lucy managed. "Just get us out of here, will you!?"

"Fine then." She raised her urn and a wash of water surged out, blasting the entire group out of the hole and a safe distance down the hallway.

Finally they came to rest, soaked but gasping and alive, and Aquarius appeared briefly above them again. "That is done. Now, don't call me again for a week. I'm going to be vacationing with my boyfriend." And then she vanished.

"Jeez," Grey snorted, standing to the side now, arms akimbo, dressed only in his shorts. "Still causing trouble, Natsu. Maybe a headstrong fire-idiot like you isn't cut out for dungeon-crawling…."

"Before getting on your soapbox, get your clothes on!" Erza, Natsu and Happy roared together.

Grey glanced down at himself and started. "Ack! My clothes must have washed away in the flood!"

"Stop lying and just get dressed already!" Lucy barked.

Perhaps I should explain….

I was lost and alone in a strange forest, but then I was found by these four…five people. They are members of a mage guild of Fiore, a small kingdom south of Halteese, based in the city of Magnolia, a guild called Fairy Tail. They are amazing and powerful mages, and they've decided to take care of me for now….

Natsu Dragneel is a Dragon Slayer, a rare and special kind of mage who was raised and trained by a dragon! But Natsu-san's 'father', Igneel, vanished about seven years ago, and Natsu-san has been searching for him ever since. Because he is trained as a Fire Dragon Slayer, he can use all sorts of amazing fire magic, and can even eat fire to power himself up! But he can't eat his own fire, or fire that is started by his power. He's reckless and impulsive, and…he doesn't always think very hard…but he's courageous and he loves his friends. His main weakness is that he has the most terrible motion sickness. The minute he sets foot on a moving vehicle, he becomes helpless….

Grey Fullbuster is an ice mage. He can use his magic to produce ice in all kinds of forms and creations. He and Natsu-san don't seem to get along well, at least on the surface, but, seeing them battle golem guardians down here, I've seen that they understand each other very well in combat…kind of like Kain-sensei and Kenjirô-san…. Grey-san was trained to use his magic in arctic conditions in minimal clothing, and so now he is prone to just undress down to his underwear at any time…at least that's what he says is the reason. Lucy-san and Natsu-san just say he's an exhibitionist.

Lucy-san is only a couple years older than me, and she is one of Fairy Tail's newest members. She's very beautiful and kind, but she gets angry at Natsu-san and Grey-san easily. She is a Celestial Spirit Mage, and she uses Celestial Spirit Keys to call the spirits from the Celestial Realm after making contracts with them. She even has several keys of the Zodiac, the twelve unique and powerful lords of the Celestial Realm. Her secret is that she wants to be a writer, of fiction! I'm trying to convince her to show me some of her writings when we return to their guild headquarters….

Erza Scarlet is, well, the leader of this party. Erza-san is very strong, even stronger than Natsu-san and Grey-san. She uses a strange magic called 'Requip', which allows her to instantly exchange many different sets of swords and armor that she has stored in magic space. She acts hard and stern, and is definitely scary, but she has a sweet, girly side, too…she's actually very interested in cute outfits and cosplay and the like….

And then, finally, there is Happy. Happy is…a cat, I guess? He's blue and walks on two feet and he talks, but he looks like a cat and he loves fish. He can use magic, too…he can temporarily grow wings and fly, and even carry one person with him for a short amount of time.

As a mage guild, Fairy Tail has many mages who form parties and take jobs and commissions from the rich and powerful of Fiore and even other countries in Arcanus Myrror. Right now, this party is on a commission to find a powerful artifact inside an old dungeon. They found me nearby, and in a village just outside the dungeon we found an old man who had adventured inside this strange place many, many years ago. Using my artifact, I was able to get a map of this place from his mind…at least as far in as he has gone….

"A-and this is where it ends," Nodoka announced out loud. "The artifact your employer wanted…lies in the vault behind this door…but that ojii-san was never able to open it…."

"Well then!" Natsu declared, striding forward and rolling his shoulder in his grasp. "I guess we'll just have to break it down…."

Erza stopped him short by grabbing him by the ear. "No," she objected as he yelped in pain. "We're going to try using our heads first…."

Nodoka examined the door. It was definitely thick, large, probably steel or some other heavy metal, and was covered by kanji imprinted on plates. As she studied it, she realized that it was a very subtle wordplay riddle. She touched the plates and found, to her delight, that they began to move and slide around the door. She moved them into position as she thought they should fall…and once the last plate was in place, they all sank into the door. Then, with a grinding sound, the door slid sideways into the wall, revealing a passage behind them.

The group of Fairy Tail watched in amazement for several seconds, then cheered. "That was amazing, Nodoka!" Happy declared. "How did you know to do that?"

"I-it's just like the kind of locked doors we have in our library back in Mahora…" Nodoka explained.

And then she further demonstrated those skills she acquired, as more traps awaited them down the hall. Without a map to guide her, she relied on her own senses, and saved them from a number of pit traps, spike traps, arrow traps, acid traps, and more.

"Are we really in the vault?" Grey grumped. "It seems like this place is nothing but a trap-infested cellar…."

"N-no…I think we're close…" Nodoka offered.

And then, finally, behind one more (unlocked, untrapped) door, there was a small room. It was lit by magic torches, and there, in the center of the room, was a pedestal, and upon the pedestal was a small cushion, and upon the cushion was a gleaming round marble, about an inch in diameter and shimmering in different shades of colors. They stared at it in wonder. "Ooooohh…"

"That is our target," Erza murmured. "It's an old relic from ancient days, simply called 'The Marble'." She picked it up. "Supposedly, it can create a small, unique universe of its own…it is almost a physical manifestation of the powerful 'Reality Marble' magic. Not powerful enough to be useful, but it might have some applications to magic researchers. The man that offered this job, Malchius, seems to have a use for it…."

"Ah, but there's nothing else here?" Natsu said, disappointed. "Ah, well…I guess we should get going."

"Aye!" Happy said. "I was hoping for more…like a whistle that would summon a rain of fish from the sky!"

"Only you would think a magic item like that would be valuable," Lucy muttered.

"In any case, let's head out," Erza said briskly, pocketing the object somewhere about her person and heading for the door. "We've found what we were looking for, so let's not keep our client waiting."

The group followed her. The way out began relatively peaceful, with Natsu and Lucy chatting amiably with Nodoka, questioning her about her own life and world, and sharing stories of their own adventures and hijinx, with Erza and Happy chipping in frequently. Grey, taciturn and stoic, tended to add only occasional commentary.

Then, as they came to a large room, an alarm-like sound began to resound through the halls around them, and slots in the ceiling opened up. A dozen iron statues dropped from the ceiling and brandished various kinds of weapons at them.

"Oh," Grey remarked, showing a bit of emotion in his small smile. "Seems like there are some guardians meant to keep us from leaving with the treasure."

"All right! A fight? I'm getting fired up!" Natsu declared gleefully, bumping his fists together and letting flame flare up over them.

"You boys are always too enthusiastic about fighting…" Lucy began.

Even as she spoke, Erza manifested a sword and charged in. "Time for some exercise!" she cried, leaping into the middle of a group of golems.

"And her, too," Lucy finished with a sigh. She glanced back at Nodoka, who was staring at the carnage with mixed awe and fear. Lucy smiled at the younger girl encouragingly. "Don't worry," she assured her. "This is Fairy Tail's strongest team. We won't let anything happen to you, Nodoka-chan."

"Aye!" Happy agreed, standing on the girl's other side. "This is just morning exercise for all of them!"

Then a golem swinging a massive axe came charging in at the three of them. As Happy, panicked, grabbed Nodoka and took to the air, Lucy turned to it in a hurry. Grabbing the keys on her belt, she took one and pointed it at the golem. "Open: The Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

"Mooooo!" declared Taurus as he appeared. He was, indeed, quite a minotaur, a huge human body over seven feet tall and with a bull's head, but his skin was, rather, a cow-like hide marked with black spots, quite like a bovine. He was dressed in fingerless gloves, boots, and a groin-covering outfit similar to those worn by superheroes and children's cartoon heroes from the '70s and '80s. A great axe of his own was slung across his back, but in an instant he swept it off his back and slammed the golem with it, sending it flying. Then it turned to Lucy. "Lucy-san! As always, your body is moooooooost amazing. Absolutely fabulous!"

"Yes, yes," Lucy said with another sigh. "Just take care of him, all right? He's coming back for more!"

"No problem! I'm mooooore than ready to fight!"

The bull-man charged in and began exchanging blows with the golem, beating it back rather easily.

"Lucy-san's gotten stronger," Happy explained as he slowly lowered Nodoka back down to the ground safely. "She was a novice mage when she joined us just a couple months ago. But fighting rogue mages and such with us, her magical power—which she has to use to manifest her Celestial Spirits in this world—has grown a lot. She can even summon two Celestial Spirits at a time now (for short periods) if she needs to."

Meanwhile, Grey was facing several golems on his own. He tucked the bottom of his right fist against his left palm. "Ice Make Lance!" So saying, he thrust his hands out, and a swarm of icy missiles flew out, scattering the golems.

Flame billowed from Natsu's elbows, flowing out like two great blades. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" he roared, dashing past them and slashing them with the flame.

"And then there's those two," Happy continued. "Fire and ice, powerful masters of their specialties!"

Erza, fighting with sword, twin blades, axe, spear, and other weapons, changing rapidly to match her opponents, felt the battle had grown tedious. "Time to end this now," she growled. "Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

Erza's armor and clothes dissolved away into light as the magic rose up to obscure her, giving (as is standard in magical girl anime and anime lampooning magical girl scenarios) just the merest hint of nudity or naughtiness, before the light exploded away to show her in a new outfit…that could only be labeled 'Women's Armor'. Plated armor covered the middle (and only the middle) of her chest, adorned with a metal flower, while her legs were covered by a long, billowing, armored skirt. Her arms and visible feet were almost entirely covered by similar metal plates, and four metals wings of a blade-like construction seemed to emerge from her back. She also wore a winged metal headpiece. She carried an exquisite longsword in each hand, while a circle of swords rested in the air behind her, upheld by no visible object or force.

Erza extended her gripped swords out about forty-five degrees to the right and left. "Dance, my blades!" she declared. "Circle Sword!" The swords lined up and began to fly in a perfect wheel-shape around her, extending their radius with each revolution and slicing the golems they came into contact with in pieces.

"And then there's Erza," Happy finished. "One of Fairy Tail's five S-Class mages, the strongest female mage of Fairy Tail, wielding the ultimate Requip magic: The Knight! The one known as Titania, the Queen of the Fairies! Erza Scarlet! Together, they make up Fairy Tail's strongest team!"

In moments, Fairy Tail's 'strongest team' had put an end to the golems. Lucy closed Taurus' gate (with the bull-man giving one last sexual harassment-worthy comment about her assets before leaving), Erza changed back to her 'casual' outfit, and the two men relaxed, mostly unchanged…although Grey had somehow lost his shirt again in the confusion.

"Hopefully that's the last of that," Lucy sighed. "I'm not much for dungeons…way too much fighting!"

"That's better, isn't it?" Natsu replied excitedly.

"Only for you…."

"No more distractions," Erza said. "Let's get back home…."

8-8-8

"We're home!" Natsu declared, bursting through Fairy Tail's front door with authority.

The loud and rambunctious crowd eating and drinking in the large main hall of Fairy Tail's guild turned in surprise and then cheered as the six of them entered.

Natsu, bold and impetuous, was in the lead. Natsu's hair was an almost traditional shonen hero's wild 'do, of a dark pink color, roughly of a shade reminiscent of Hinagiku. His slightly tan skin and black eyes gave a fierce contrast to the 'effeminate' color of his hair. He wore a sleeveless black waistcoat with gold trimmings, and on his right shoulder was the symbol of Fairy Tail—all guild mage members had, somewhere on their bodies, a tattoo or magic mark of their guild, and Natsu kept his own red brand there, usually visible. He wore a white scarf seemingly made of scales wrapped around his neck, and this scarf was his most treasured possession. Below, he wore white knee-length trousers and open-toed black sandals.

Grey followed closely behind his friend and rival, his demeanor as cold and grumpy as ever. His spiky black hair was not quite so wild as Natsu's, but his body was roughly as toned and muscular, and his eyes were dark blue. A slight scar just above his left eye was covered partially by his hair. Having managed to keep his clothes on thus far today, he wore his usual long white coat and black knee-length pants, with heavy black boots.

Erza walked just flanking Grey. Her long red hair was her namesake, her bangs parted on the left side but with two long strips of hair falling down nearly to her chest on her right and left sides while behind her hair dropped to her backside. Her eyes were brown, and she wore a curious outfit consisting of a fashionable breastplate (made, in fact, by Heart Kreuz [a young lady's popular fashion brand that does not normally make armor], upon her very forceful 'request') with a golden cross overlapping the Fairy Tail sigil, the brand and vertical stripe of the cross focused on the left side. In addition to this breastplate she wore a blue miniskirt, elbow-length steel gauntlets, and knee-length black boots. The tail of her blue Fairy Tail logo was just visible under her shoulder plates on her left upper arm.

And last, walking with Nodoka (with Happy, the blue cat, walking next to Natsu now that they were in safe territory), came Lucy, with her long blond tied up with a blue ribbon in a tiny side tail. Her eyes were brown, and, unlike her fellows, she preferred to change her dress from day to day, even when adventuring. Today she was still wearing her most common outfit, consisting of a sleeveless white tunic with blue trim and cross pattern, her brown belt (important for holding her ring of Celestial Spirit keys on her right side and her personal weapon, her whip, on her left), a blue miniskirt, black wristbands (accentuating the pink Fairy Tail mark on her right hand) and knee-length high-heeled black boots.

And the laughing, chattering crowd turned, with barely a break in the noise, and began to greet the arrivals. "Hey, Natsu!" cheered a middle-aged man, dark-skinned and dark-haired, and slightly balding. Macao was his name, an older veteran of the guild. "Did you guys have fun crawling around in that dungeon?"

"Looks like you've brought back more than treasure," said the oyaji ('old man'—in this case, about the same age as his partner) sitting with Macao, a middle-aged man with a brown pompadour and pipe in this mouth, named Watabe. "Who's the ojô-chan?"

"Ah! Welcome back, everyone!" cheered a young woman in a fancy serving dress holding a plate full of drinks in her hands. She was notably beautiful, with long silver with one topknot pulling her bangs out of her face, with shining blue eyes. She was Mirajane, who generally served as a mascot, image and supporter of Fairy Tail, and, as a hobby, appeared in gravure photo spreads for local magazines such as "Sorcerer Weekly".

As others greeted them, a man in green robes and a white cloak rose and approached the group. He had short, red hair, of a shade not far from Erza's. "Well, well…from your countenances I assume you fulfilled my request…?"

"Hey!" Natsu insisted, rushing up to the man and putting his face close to the other's. "You're not a member of Fairy Tail! What are you doing in our guild?"

"Sorry if I offended you," the man said, raising his hands placatingly. "I just knew you'd be returning soon, so I decided to come and wait for you. Your guild didn't seem to mind much…they are a friendly and fun bunch. Anyway…about my prize…?"

"We have it," Erza proclaimed, stepping forward and presenting it. "'The Marble', as you requested."

"Ah!" The man's green eyes lit up. "I knew you could do it for me! Just as I expected…."

"Well, we can't really take credit, though," Lucy admitted. "If we hadn't been fortunate enough to run into Nodoka, we would have been stuck. But she was incredible working with the traps and locks in that place…."

"Oh? This young girl?" The man turned its attention to the young Japanese maiden. "Ah, I see…I understand now…."

"What are you talking about?" Grey blurted out coldly.

"Kai-san has Premonition magic," explained a rather tomboy-like girl with wild blue hair pulled back by a headband…Levy, the 'leader' and only female member of Fairy Tail's 'Shadow Gear' team. "He predicted that you'd arrive…."

"Just as I predicted that Fairy Tail would be able to find this item for me," he explained. "I just see things that will be without always understanding why…really, it's not so great. There's still a lot I don't know. I didn't know how to find it myself, after all, or I would have done so. And I don't know why you had to have the help of a wanted criminal…."

"WHAT!?"

Natsu was again in Kai's face. "I don't appreciate those kinds of jokes being told about our nakama!" he insisted.

"But he's telling the truth," insisted Nab, a man whose appearance, including his dress, rather resembled a Native American. He was known for always standing around the mission board, looking at the missions but never taking them, and he was at his usual location. He pointed at one paper that had been recently posted. "She's definitely one of the people on this wanted poster…."

By now the readers are quite familiar with the situation, but it was the first for Natsu and company as well. "WHAT!?"

Nodoka stared at it in shock. "T-that's not true!" she insisted. With the attention of the guild (and Kai) on her, she hesitantly told her version of events.

"No way," Lucy breathed. "You think…the Obsidian Star had something to do with this? But they were destroyed, twenty years ago…."

"It would seem not," Grey replied. "Something powerful enough to fuel a terrible war between the entire world of Arcanus Myrror wouldn't go down that easily, even with a great hero like the Grand Archmage going against them."

"Wooo…this sounds serious," Kai admitted. As Natsu and a few others turned to glare at him, he held up his hands placatingly again. "Hey, hey, I want nothing to do with this. I'm no bounty hunter, nor am I really involved in politics and the rest. I just remembered it…it was such a big event, after all, all of the Gateports being destroyed at once. I promise, I won't say anything about this." He held up his new treasure. "I got what I wanted, after all, and couldn't have without her help." He then set a small, bulging bag down on the nearest table. "And here is your fee for the service. With that, I should be going. Best of luck, Fairy Tail, ojô-chan." With a wave, he departed.

The guild watched him go, then turned to look at Nodoka. "Well, we've heard the whole story, but what do we do with this girl?" asked Warren, a slim man of average height and thick lips with black hair in an undercut style, with one prominent wisp on the right part of his face.

"E-eh…."

"We're not going to 'do' anything with her!" Natsu insisted angrily. "She's one of our friends now, I don't care what some silly posters say!"

"I-I didn't mean anything, Natsu…" Warren began.

"Bah!" roared Elfman, a large man with spiky white hair, dark skin, and a scar over his right eye, who also happened to be Mirajane's younger brother. "Real men shouldn't be like that! Real men speak with their fists!"

"Then listen to this!" Natsu roared, sending Elfman flying with his real man's fist.

A young woman with long black hair, dressed in breeches and a blue halter top, sat on a table in the back, a large barrel in her arms. "You guys are so noisy," she, Kana, growled at them. "Always, you're so immature and uncouth…that's why the men of this guild are…." She didn't finish, but resumed guzzling wine from the barrel.

Soon a fight began to break out between the energetic Fairy Tail members. Tables were smashed and chairs destroyed as powers and fists raged around the room. Mirajane and Lucy pulled Nodoka up to the bar, where she watched in utter shocked silence, her mouth open in her usual vacant stare she had when she couldn't react to a stimulating situation.

"Sh-shouldn't we stop them?" she finally managed.

Lucy sighed. "It's like this all the time," she explained.

"Aye!" Happy agreed, eating a fish next to them.

"It's one of Fairy Tail's charms," Mirajane declared quite happily.

"Ch-charms?"

"WOULD YOU BRATS CUT THAT OUT!?" roared a new massive voice as a giant monster suddenly appeared, towering over the fighters, who all froze in mid-battle. "YOU'RE WRECKING THE PLACE AGAIN!"

"Ah, you're finally back, Master," Mirajane greeted the titan in her usual pleasant and cheerful tones. "Everything go well at the regular meeting?"

"M-Master…?"

As Erza took charge and began ordering the rambunctious fighting mages to clean up their mess, the monstrosity turned its attention to the three girls at the bar. "Oh…we have a newcomer here…?"

"A-ah! T-that's right!" Natsu said, appearing suddenly in front of the girls, waving his arms in front of them protectively. "T-this girl is Nodoka-chan, and she's…."

"Yes, I know," the apparition rumbled. "One of the members of the villain 'Randis Helam's band, right?"

"E-er…."

Suddenly the great beast began to shrink…and continued shrinking until it became an almost dwarfish old man shorter than Nodoka, with a bald pate that only had the outer rims of his head sporting white hair, with a thick white mustache. He wore a cream-colored cloak over a white suit. "Yo!" he said cheerfully, raising a hand in salute.

"This is Fairy Tail's guildmaster, Master Makarov Dreyar," Mirajane introduced him.

"Pleased to meetcha," Makarov said. "Well, ojô-chan, don't worry about that bounty thing. Mages from guilds like ours take jobs for that sort of thing, of course, but we aren't at the government's beck and call. And that goes doubly true for our guild." He hopped up onto the bar with a spry spring and turned to address the whole room along with Nodoka. Scooping up the bounty paper from the board, he glanced down at it and then lifted his eyes to the room again. "The rulers of our nations are full of fears, and let their judgments be clouded, whether they're pursuing their own goals, or earnestly seeking the 'best interests' of the people they serve, they can't be relied upon to be infallible. To blame a disaster like this on a bunch of kids, most of whom come from earth and have limited experience with magic…just to save face and avert panic, because the real culprits might be something like the 'Obsidian Star'…that's the kinds of things they do. We respect authority, but we won't go along with stupidity like that." The bounty paper burst into flame in his hands, and he tossed it negligently away. Natsu leapt up like a dog and caught the flaming paper in his mouth, and, to Nodoka's shock, began to consume it.

"Listen up!" Makarov continued. "We are a mage guild…a guild of people who use magic, a power that 'overcomes reason'. But the power to overcome reason is born from reason. Magic is not a miracle. When the 'spirit' within us connects with the 'spirit' in nature, they will form an embodiment for the first time. You need a strong mind and will in order to bring forth that embodiment. That is to say, pouring your whole soul into what you do, that is magic. If you keep worrying about what the higher-ups insist, you'll never improve. Don't fear those fools in the Magic Council, or the various governments. Do whatever you think is right! That's the way of Fairy Tail mages!"

The assembled mages began to cheer. Nodoka gazed on in wonder and awe. Lucy smiled at her. "It was this way for me when I first arrived," she explained as the mages returned to more pleasant revelry. "These people are…well, crazy, but they're good people, and this is a great guild. Sometimes we go overboard, but we have a lot of fun! This is the best place on Arcanus Myrror!"

Makarov turned to the girl. "So, what do you think, ojô-chan? Are you here to join Fairy Tail?"

"A-ah…well…."

Lucy began to interject, but Makarov held up a hand to forestall her. "I understand your circumstances," he explained. "I heard your explanation, and it's about what I suspected to begin with. You're from earth, and you came here for just a short trip with your class and teacher…and your primary goal is to return home with those friends of yours, right? We certainly don't want you to give that up…it is your own land. But you seem to have already made a strong impression on some of our precious members, and they'd be happy to accept you as a nakama, a true comrade, in fact as well as spirit. And if you do manage to find your way home after this…we'll remember you fondly, and if you ever return, you'll be one of us. We don't want to pressure you, but know this…you'll be quite welcome here!"

"T-to be a mage…of a mage guild…that kind of thing is like the dream I've had ever since I was a child," Nodoka admitted. "But…to be honest…I'm not really a mage…I can't even use proper magic…."

"Hmm? Whab aw yoo tawkin' abou'?" Natsu managed around his mouthful of his special menu (Fire Pasta, Fire Chicken, and Fire Drink). "Yoo hab da' spshl boc…."

"Eh? But, that's just my artifact…."

"Here, at least in Fiore, there are some Ability Mages, who just cast spells," Lucy explained. "But there are a lot of Holder Mages here, who use magic through items…I'm one of them, after all. To be a really good Holder Mage, you still have to have a good deal of magical power and ability…it's not just about your item."

"Is Lucy saying she's a 'really good' Holder Mage?" Happy questioned.

"Quiet, cat!"

"Lucy-chan is right," Makarov agreed. "That artifact of yours…as a card-bearing disciple of an Archmage, you're already qualified as a mage in terms of magical power and ability. That's enough. Fairy Tail has strong mages, but it's not a guild built on magic status and ability. A heart that can love is all you really need to qualify as a member of this guild."

Nodoka glanced around at the smiling faces of those who had gathered around her: Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Grey, Erza, Makarov, and Mirajane. "C-can I really…be a Fairy Tail mage…?"

Kai glanced back at the happy, festive guildhouse of Fairy Tail and smiled slightly. "The mind-reading girl," he muttered to himself. "A truly dangerous opponent has been dropped into my lap. I hoped this would be all I'd have to do with a mage guild as wild and strong as Fairy Tail, but if that little ojô-chan has nestled her way into their hearts, they'll move against us without question as soon as they learn the truth. If only Eminus had managed to eliminate her while he had the chance….

"Ah, well, I guess it will fall to me, Koltas Corai, to deal with her. At least I didn't reveal my real name to them…using the full name of the victim is the requirement of activating the Diarium Ejus." Koltas opened up his palm and watched The Marble float into the air above him. He smiled at its sparkling, enchanting depths. "I still need two more treasures to complete this project…perhaps I should go ahead and request Fairy Tail retrieve the second one for me…and deal with her in the meantime…."

Chuckling, the man vanished into the darkness that came with the setting sun.

8-8-8

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfillia, Grey Fullbuster, and Erza Scarlet

Well! After plugging along, I've got enough to make a chapter out of this little adventure, the meeting of Fairy Tail and Nodoka. In the original Negima, Nodoka was taken in by a foursome of treasure-hunting adventurers, who treated her well and were great friends to her, but were rather boring and bland. So I decided to jet (er, that is, throw away) them and bring in another manga/anime that goes great with this magical world of Arcanus Myrror: the mage guild of Fairy Tail.

Fairy Tail is kind of like a cross between Slayers and Dragonball (or Bleach or any of a hundred other 'Shonen' manga)—a fantasy/medieval world with some anachronistic settings and MagiTech, but with 'Shonen' characters, including a rather simplistic and hotheaded but valiant and friendship-obsessed protagonist (like Luffy from One Piece and many, many others, Natsu's wild and fiery nature becomes deadly cold and focused when something about his friends is threatened, or if someone violates the 'code of friendship', you could say, by doing something low like mistreating their own comrades). Nodoka would easily be taken in by these wild people, and joining a real guild of mages is, indeed, a dream come true for her. In fact, as Lucy kind of hinted at, Nodoka's introduction to the guild proper is quite similar to Lucy's own arrival at Fairy Tail, with Makarov's speech here adjusted from his speech at her induction (at that time, he was reporting the various misdemeanors o the destructive guild and how the Magic Council was upset with him, and then saying essentially, 'To heck with them, regardless').

I did leave a portion of the original Nodoka storyline, or, rather, the ability to tie into it—since Nodoka's original companions were dungeoneering adventurers, and Akamatsu-sensei used her experience in the Library Exploration Club to help them out. To add more of the Slayers and such flavor, I stole a piece from one of Lina's little adventures in Next, where she's exploring a dungeon for a great magic and has the same push button/no push button trap situation that was presented here. There, of course, Gourry was the one setting off the traps by impulsive stupidity.

So, let's go ahead and introduce the main characters, that austere foursome that comprises Fairy Tail's 'strongest team' or 'Team Natsu'….

8-8-8

Upper left is Natsu. The main protagonist of Fairy Tail, Natsu has many Shonen hero traits, as mentioned. He's dimwitted, kind of like Gourry, but with a fiery temper (matching his powers). He was an orphan raised by…a dragon. Igneel taught him how to speak, read, and write, and how to use Dragon Slayer magic of his type, fire type, giving him 'dragon scales to resist fire, dragon lungs to breath fire, and dragon claws to attack with fire'. Dragon Slayer Magic is an ancient, lost magic that was used to hunt dragons, making it a point of interest to the characters themselves as to why a dragon taught a boy magic to kill his own kind. Igneel vanished approximately seven years ago (in the original, on July 7th, in their year 777…an auspicious date….), leaving Natsu alone again, until he found and was taken in by Fairy Tail. He thinks of his 'nakama', his true comrades, as his friends and family, and would do anything for them…even Grey and Erza, with whom he is constantly battling and seems to be at odds. He also was very close to Mirajane's and Elfman's younger sister, Lisanna, and the two seemed a perfect couple…until an accident with Elfman's magic two years ago resulted in Lisanna's death. At this point in the story, that's still the facts….

Upper right is Lucy, the first character introduced in the series and the main female protagonist. Fairy Tail is quite well-split on which of these two is actually the main character. It is Natsu who does all the truly heroic, great things, but when the story is narrated by an individual, it's usually Lucy, and, except for the all-important character-specific flashbacks, it's usually told from her point of view. She is actually a member of the prestigious and fabulously wealthy Heartfillia family—'member', nothing, she's the only child and heir of the megabusiness' head—but she ran away from there because she has serious issues with her father, and her mother is dead (among other things, her father seemed to be obsessed with the business and never paid her any attention except to demand she prepare herself to inherit and properly care for said business). She inherited several Celestial Spirit keys, and the talent to use them, from her mother. The twelve zodiac keys are unique and very powerful, and at this point of the story Lucy has six of them—Aquarius, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Leo (who once disguised himself as a human mage and was a member of Fairy Tail, while in exile from the home of the Celestial Spirits, until Lucy argued for his pardon and he became her sixth Celestial Spirit). Lucy is a spunky girl, more serious than most of the guild and her 'serious relief' is the comedy counterpoint to the rest of the over-the-top characters…90% of what happens causes her alarm and grief, but nobody else around thinks that it's strange. She is, as it were, the straight man. Despite being cute and sexy, and admired by many characters, there is also a running gag of her being unsexy, unpopular with boys, and even ugly, which sentiments, when presented, cause her great grief. Like Kagome, Mai, and Hinagiku, she's normally rather even-tempered and friendly but often is brought to anger by events around her, so she seems like a flaming-tempered wild woman at times. Despite her exasperation with its antics, she loves Fairy Tail, and is proud to be one of its newest members.

Grey, bottom left, is Natsu's rival, a boy who's been at the guild a little longer and who uses an opposed element. His village was destroyed by the great demon Deliora when he was a child, and he sought revenge against it, which led him to learning Ice Make magic from the woman who rescued him, Ur. While his stripping habit is his humorous foible, it is later revealed that Ur made him and his fellow student Lyon strip to their underwear while training in arctic conditions so that their spirits would have a better appreciation for ice magic…and she, of course, did the same while training them. This is apparently the reason for his habit, as he's used to low temperatures and no clothes now, and Lyon has the same habit…Ur, however, seemed to have no problems keeping her clothes on in civilization and chastened Grey severely when he stripped in town. Ur eventually sacrificed her life to defeat the demon and save Grey, and Grey then wandered until he found Fairy Tail. Since then, he has become a dour but valiant member of the guild. He doesn't show emotion much (besides mild displeasure at most things and stronger dislike for Natsu) and generally only joins the 'craziness' when provoked, but he can really go off in battle. He uses ice magic to create a large variety of 'static' objects and use them as weapons and defenses. At one point, farther in the story than is presented here, he even uses his own blood to make ice in a desperate battle where the opponent has total control over his ice creations but cannot use her power on living things, or pieces thereof.

Bottom right is Erza Scarlet, Fairy Tail's primary enforcer and disciplinarian. She's a rather rigid and rule-bound woman, determined to maintain the guild's order, and like most of the others she's very stubborn and strong-willed, as well as narrow-minded. That is, she bulls ahead and does what she thinks is best or right or necessary without even thinking about things like propriety. She will order, berate and (sometimes) beat senseless innocent civilians who unwittingly stand in the way of her stopping a great evil, and often embraces her comrades quite forcefully to her (steel-enclosed) breast, not realizing the problems banging heads against said steel can cause. Still, she is brilliant, kindhearted, and loyal, and her strengths shine through her foibles. Interestingly, she has a lot of tastes that are borderline 'odd', including fashion, cosplay, and any other 'girly' subjects…it's the equivalent of a militaristic, sporty tomboy who plays games like football with the boys (and beats them senseless) and then at home you find she's an unashamed, unabashed, unapologetic otaku. Using her 'X-Quip' or 'Requip' magic, she is able to change into various suits of armor and weapons (and dresses and cosplay outfits) depending on the situation. She also has a natural ability with telekinesis and more talents besides that may come up in this story.

And, of course, in the middle is Happy, the flying blue cat…later on than these characters are in this story, we find out that he's part of a magical race called the Exceed that are from the mirror-world of Edoras, and that he was sent here by his people to escape their dying world. He was found in an egg six years ago by the child Natsu and child Lisanna, who, believing it to be a dragon egg, lovingly raised and cared for the egg, waiting for it to hatch, and determined to being its 'daddy' and 'mommy'. Of course, it turned out to be Happy (his race is born from eggs). The ability to sprout wings is part of the Exceed's natural magic. He loves fish and seems to eat little else. He's Natsu's trusty ally and best friend, as well as the only means of 'transportation' that doesn't make Natsu sick because "Happy is a nakama, he's not a vehicle." Later on, it becomes a recurring theme that all Dragon Slayers have severe motion sickness (with a single exception), and all Dragon Slayers have an Exceed companion.

Fairy Tail is the mage guild equivalent of Class 3-A, a wild, rambunctious fount of fun and chaos that has a few responsible members trying to keep it in line, so it works great here. Fairy Tail will be an engine that will drive Nodoka into stories of her own. Of course, these many anime worlds that are being drawn into my great amalgamation work are part of the reason that it is moving so slowly right now….

Regardless, we should have lots of fun with these folks. Ho, Fairy Tail! And now back to Lina and Gourry.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Four: Dastardly! The Hunted Sorceress!

Lina stared up at the large public viewscreen, watching with the gathered crowd. The red-haired young man took the microphone from the yôkai reporter girl and turned to the camera. "My name is…Kalan Lockeheart!" he proclaimed.

Lina chuckled to herself as the crowd around her began to react and murmur to this bold declaration. "That idiot…he's sure gone and attracted attention to himself. Still, I can see where he's going…that's not a bad strategy…."

Gourry glanced around at the agitated crowd. "What's with them?" he asked. "Is that guy famous or something?"

Lina did a double take. "How dense can you be? Don't you even know who Kalan Lockeheart is?"

"Hmm…sounds kinda familiar, I guess…."

"The Grand Archmage! He was only the most famous wizard of the past ten generations! He was still a child when he vanquished the Obsidian Star and saved the world! Or," Lina continued to herself, considering what she had recently learned, "he almost vanquished them. But if they're making a comeback…."

"Well, I don't really understand," Gourry said. "But that guy on the screen who saved the world is your friend, right? So you know he's all right now?"

"That's…more or less correct," Lina sighed. She looked back up on the screen. "So…he's joining that tournament, huh?"

"Anyway, we've eaten," Gourry said. "So, back on the road to Avalon?"

"We're not going to Avalon," Lina stated flatly.

"Oh? We're not?"

"No. Despite all the attention he's gotten ever since he was a child, he's always been uncomfortable with it, and avoids it when he can. If he's putting himself forward enough to join this tournament and then make a spectacle of himself, he's got a serious aim in mind. This tournament he's applying for will lead him to Orimus…which means he's probably aiming to reactivate the ancient gate at the old capital in order to send himself and all his students home. He probably has some other reason, too, but I can't guess at what he's planning without more details than that. Still, the celebration at the old capital…that would be the best place for us to go next. Are we clear?"

"Sorry, I wasn't really listening…."

"Mega Brand!"

8-8-8

Lina had taken to wearing a special pair of magical sunglasses since the discovery of her bounty problem. These shades were enchanted to make the wearer unnoticeable and unremarkable. If she interacted with people—making purchases, asking for directions, and the like—they would respond, but if questioned later, they would only remember that they spoke without remembering what the other was like. Naturally, it wasn't perfect—those with stronger magical power could see through it if they got too close, and if she made too big a scene (something she certainly had trouble with) it could break the spell. Still, as long as she avoided wizard-looking types and kept herself in check, she was fairly safe, and it was far better than being constantly harassed by bounty hunters and the like.

Yet someone with strong magic had obviously penetrated her disguise at some point. They were moving between towns by back roads and the like—better to be safe than sorry—but now Lina sensed the unmistakable sensation of someone following them.

"Lina," Gourry muttered to her, a look of concern evident on his features—obviously, despite the many faults of his mental faculties, he was not completely senseless when it came to sensing danger.

"I know," Lina growled back, mulling the situation over briefly in her mind. They were good, to be sure, haven't penetrated her magical disguise so easily, and now following them without leaving much evidence. However, things were only going to grow worse the longer they waited. Who knew, after all, whether they might have friends lying in wait ahead, or they might wait until they encountered local law enforcement before bursting out to seize their prey….

Better to confront them now, she decided. She suddenly started running forward and then whirled. "All right! Enough hiding! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

There was a chuckle from the nearby cover. "This little girl's pretty good," admitted a man with dark green hair and a thick green mustache as he emerged from the foliage around them. "I guess we should expect as much from a figure as well known as the Bandit Killer, eh, Rodimus?"

"Indeed, Zolf," replied another man, Rodimus, obviously, as he emerged next. He seemed rather old, with a bald head and a white beard of his own, but his large body seemed to carry the heavy metal armor he wore easily. He carried a dueling halberd—a shorter, six-foot version of the deadly axe-pike-pick combination polearm—and readied himself as Gourry drew his own sword.

"Bounty hunters come for my head?" She opened her left hand and let fiery magic gather in her palm. "You'll find it's not worth the trouble to go trying to take it. I'm feeling merciful today, so if you just back off, you won't get burned."

"Your bounty isn't our concern," Zolf retorted, throwing his cloak back and thrusting his own hands out to prepare gathering magical energy. "Our employer has other objectives, as mysterious as they are…not that it matters much in this case."

Rodimus charged forward, and Gourry met him with his own weapon. Sword and halberd clashed as the two warriors tested each other.

"Not bad for such an old man," Gourry commented.

"You're pretty good yourself, kid," his opponent responded.

Meanwhile, Zolf launched his spell at Lina. "Flare Arrow!"

Lina dodged to the side and raised her hand over her head. "Fire…!"

She was cut off suddenly as the ground around her suddenly collapsed into a muddy, sliding hill. Lina cried out as she began to tumble out of sight.

"Lina!" Gourry cried in alarm.

"Where are you watching, kid?" Rodimus scolded, slashing at Gourry.

The blond man ducked under the swing and lashed out with his foot, sending the surprised older warrior sprawling. He was instantly heading towards Lina, but suddenly a new figure appeared in Gourry's way. He blocked the sword used by his new foe—a large wolf-like creature with green fur.

"Good timing, Dilgear," Rodimus said as he picked himself up.

"Out of my way!" Gourry insisted, straining his sword against the wolfman's.

Dilgear laughed at him—he had the face for it. "Why don't you make me move, blondie?"

Gourry threw Dilgear off, but then Rodimus charged in at him from behind, and Gourry was forced to turn and catch his weapon on his blade. For the moment, he realized, he couldn't help Lina until he could deal with both of his current foes….

Lina meanwhile, was tumbling down the hill roughly, unable to even catch herself with a flying spell. She finally stopped at the bottom, her spell scattered harmlessly away during the trip down. As she began to pick herself up, a figure suddenly stepped into view in front of her, and she quickly leapt up and moved backwards.

He was dressed head to foot in cream-colored clothing—tunic, hooded cloak, and breeches, fingerless gloves, and even the cloth pulled up over his face to hide everything but his eyes…. "So…I'd wager you're the leader of this merry band, huh? What's wrong with your face? Got something to hide?"

"Lina Inverse, the notorious bandit killer," the man replied. "You're a force to be reckoned with. Let's see how all this plays out." He drew a sword from his belt, a straight-edged longsword with an elaborate golden wing-like guard. He charged in on the girl.

She dodged backwards and prepared one of her faster spells. "Flare Arrow!" She launched the flaming missile at her foe.

The man dodged aside and put a hand to the ground. "Vlave Howl!" Streaks of black began to race across the ground towards Lina.

"Shamanism?" Lina cried as she dodged aside. "So, a mage and a swordsman…."

"Fireball!"

"Ray Wing!" As the destructive spell came towards her, Lina cast her own spell and took the sky, a wind barrier providing lift and protection. As she rose above, however, another blast of energy came flying in from behind her.

"You again," she muttered as Zolf came into view. "Two of you to take on one little girl, huh? Well, then…." She began to gather power in both of her hands. "Dragon of darkness which sleeps in the inferno. Lend me your roar to burn my enemies to ashes. Gaav Flare!"

Lina let her blast of chaos-fire descend on her two foes. In the cover of the ensuing explosion she dashed back down to the ground amidst the cover of the trees, knowing that standing out in the open, fully exposed in the air, was not her best follow-up play.

Zolf emerged from the smoke, choking and blackened. "Lord Zelgadis!" he cried as he charged up a spell to retaliate.

Lina, moving swiftly, began to charge up a spell of her own, but suddenly the cream-clad Zelgadis emerged from the smoke behind her. She whirled around to match his sword or spell, but she wasn't ready for the small cube he proffered instead. As it arced towards her, it began to separate, and bathed her in a cloud of energy.

"A magic seal!?" Lina shrieked as the energy washed over her. Finally the energy faded, leaving her both magically powerless and physically weakened, and Zelgadis raised a hand towards her face. The point-blank sleep spell sent Lina into oblivion.

"Well, that's that," Zelgadis said softly. He raised his hand straight up and fired a flare of magic into the air, which burst like a firecracker.

Some distance away, Dilgear and Rodimus stood panting, warily observing their blond opponent. "Not bad, kid, holding both of us off," Rodimus commented.

Before Gourry could reply, the light burst in the sky above them. "That's the signal! We're done for now!" Dilgear declared, and the two of them surprised Gourry by turning and running off.

Gourry stared after them as they departed, shocked by this unique tactic. He finally lowered his sword. "What was that about?" he said aloud. And then he looked around. "And where's Lina gotten to…?"

8-8-8

Lina winced as pain coursed through her body, shocking her from a slow recovery from unconsciousness to instant alertness. Her hands were bound…and above her. They were tied by a rope that was tied to some sort of cave ceiling, leaving her hanging suspended above the craggy stone floor. This uncomfortable position was the source of most of her pain, as well as the bruises that covered portions of her body.

Nearby, Zolf and Rodimus sat at a campfire, the smoke wafting up from the flame in an almost purposeful direction indicating some sort of vent or hole in the ceiling of this subterranean lair. They ate food in silence, not paying much attention to their captive.

Someone, however, noticed her rousing. "So, you're awake."

She painfully turned halfway to her right and saw the cream-clad mystic swordsman. His hood was down, revealing his face—sickly blue skin, sharp purple hair that seemed to shine like metal in the firelight, and dark stone-like contusions all over his face. The sight of it—and the energy of it and what it meant—intrigued Lina. "So…that's why you have to hide your face outside. Interesting…."

Zolf was on his feet, red-faced and angry. "Hey! Don't insult our master, Zelgadis Greywords, you flat-chested little witch!"

"What did you call me, you blind and deaf idiot!?" she shot back angrily. "Your beloved 'master' here just reminded me of someone I know! Obviously my tone was far from insulting. You seem to have no use for eyes or ears…."

"You…!" Zolf produced a feather out of nowhere. As Lina stared in shock, Zolf began to tickle her with it. "How's that?" he taunted her as she convulsed and laughed from the torment. "Talk back to your captors, you ugly little girl? Maybe this will teach you…."

"CUT IT OUT!" Lina lashed out with a foot angrily and caught Zolf right in the special equipment slot. As he collapsed to the ground with a low whine, Lina sighed in relief.

A barking laugh came from Lina's other side, and Dilgear came into the light. "Be careful playing with her, Zolf, this little girl's a real fireball!" Then he caught Lina's stare. "Eh? Something the matter, girlie?"

"Wolf yôkai…but that's not all, are you? You've got troll in you too, don't you? Doesn't seem natural…."

"Ho…this girl is sharp, all right," laughed a new voice. "Even with her magic sealed, she's quite observant and recognizes the work of magic quite well."

A tall, blond-haired man in black and blue robes approached, carrying a gaudy staff in his hand. An odd comet-like sigil decorated the shoulder of his mantle. Lina noticed this, too, with interest. "Horius," Zelgadis acknowledged the man.

"So…the Obsidian Star," Lina said flatly. All of her captors considered her with surprise. "That explains a few things…quite a few, in fact. You put the bounty on us just to get your hands on us?"

Horius stared in surprise, then laughed. "No, that wasn't us," he said, stroking his chin. "True, we have used such tactics before, but to our masters, your little band of 'White Wings' is little more than an afterthought at the moment, particularly considering how scattered you are. Someone else is responsible for that…but it made it easier to find you. 'You' [plural] are merely my interest, not that of my colleagues…and even so, it's not really you [singular] I'm interested in. You are merely bait to draw out the real prize."

"Kain," Lina said flatly. "Well, good luck with that. As scattered as we are, I'm not even sure where he is…."

"Oh, that's not a problem. He's made quite a spectacle of himself over in the wild western lands. His fame will help protect him, but with a prize like you on hand, it will be easy to draw him out….

Damn. Oh well, it was worth a try…. "And what do you want him for, anyway? It's not like he's much of a threat, as you said. We all got schooled pretty badly by Eminus and his little band…."

"Of course. But he has so much potential…so much strong magic within him…."

Lina sighed. "Goodness, what a third-rate villain. You're so easy to read, and you're practically begging for a chance to reveal your evil plans. So, you want to experiment with Kain's body, too, and turn him into another one of your little chimera toys, like the wolf, this 'Zelgadis', and that Eminus kid?"

The group stared at her in shocked silence. Then Zelgadis burst out, "W-what? What the hell are you talking about!?"

Horius recovered and chuckled. "Ho…clever girl, but again, your assumptions, while logical, are not completely on the mark. Dilgear is the only one of the three that I have modified, I must admit…."

"Not too surprised. There seems to be quite a gap between him and Zelgadis…and an even larger one between Zelgadis and Eminus, although they're closer to the same thing. Zelgadis is golem and yôkai mixed together with someone originally human, right? Eminus, on the other hand, is a creation, mostly elemental and golem. All three different…but similar enough to make it obvious that the Obsidian Star has had a hand with them…."

"What's this about, Horius?" Zelgadis demanded. "Is what she's saying true!? What relationship did Rezo have with your Obsidian Star?"

Rezo? Lina thought. That name…Rezo the Red Priest? What does he have to do with any of this…?

Horius held up a hand placatingly. "Now, now, Zelgadis…Rezo sought many avenues in his mad searchings to restore his sight. Some of his techniques with chimeric creations were passed to us in exchange for our help years ago. It is thanks to that, after all, that I have the knowledge to potentially help you…."

"Hmph. We'll see. At the price I paid to capture this girl for you, I better get the compensation you promised." Zelgadis turned on his heel and started away.

"Yes…I'm aware," Horius replied. "Those magic seals aren't cheap by any means. Don't worry…as I've already told you, we keep our promises…."

8-8-8

Soon Lina's captors separated to dark corners of the cave to bed down for the evening, leaving Lina alone in her most uncomfortable position. They didn't seem too keen on feeding her…at least at the moment, and complaining didn't seem to do much to arouse their faculties to providing anything on her behalf. After a few more moments of antagonism with Dilgear and Zolf, all parties seemed to grow fatigued of the bickering, and so Lina was left alone.

She tried to sleep as she could, but it was difficult to say the least. Powerless as she was, thanks to the magic seal Zelgadis had used on her, she was hardly a threat to this collection of mages and warriors, and, as such, she hoped that at least she could be given enough freedom the next day to take care of her necessities….

Not that she wouldn't try and make a little trouble for them all if she got the opportunity, of course. Lina Inverse, powerless or not, was anything but a mere damsel in distress.

She was suddenly wakened from her half-sleep by the silent approach of a figure…in the tiny amount of ambient starlight drifting down from whatever hole in the ceiling had served as a chimney for the fire, she could see that it was Zelgadis—those plain cream-white clothes made him stand out compared to all the other flashy dressers around (including herself).

"You…" she began, and then recoiled as the man suddenly, wordlessly, drew his sword. She winced and turned her head away as she anticipated the blow…but suddenly the tension on her numb arms was eliminated and she collapsed roughly to the ground. She glanced down at her swollen but now freed wrists in shock for several moments while Zelgadis sheathed his sword. He then shocked her further by handing her all her personal items that had been taken from her earlier, including the short sword she carried.

"Don't make any noise," he advised her quietly as she readied her equipment. "Just come with me." And without any other word he turned and started away.

Lina had a thousand questions burning inside her, but she knew that Zelgadis' advisement was quite sensible, unless she wanted to become a prisoner again. Trusting the man who had captured her less than a day earlier was illogical and the strangest thing she could have done, but…under the circumstances, it was the only thing she could do.

Zelgadis led her outside and into the open air. She considered taking off immediately, but knew it was too risky to try. Instead she stopped and demanded, "All right, what the hell is this about? Not that I'm not grateful, but considering you were the one who captured me…you can imagine my surprise."

Zelgadis turned to her and stared for several moments. Then he said, "Tell me…what do you know about the Obsidian Star? More specifically, what do you know about 'Eminus'?"

Lina stared back, then folded her arms. "You're working for them, but not a part of them, huh? I only know rumors and what I've heard about the Obsidian Star…and, until now, I've only encountered them once. Specifically, I've encountered one of their agents, the chimeric elemental golem Eminus, while traveling between earth and Arcanus Myrror with my friend Kain Lockeheart and his companions. Kain had encountered Eminus once before this as well…that's all I know about them.

"As I mentioned earlier, I can tell that Eminus' construction is similar to your own…although Eminus is completely a construct, not an original human like you seem to be. Now, why don't you tell me what you're fishing for? Maybe then I can offer something a little more useful…."

Zelgadis stared at her for several more moments, then turned his gaze down to his open palm for several more seconds. Finally he began, "In my youth, I wanted to become powerful…a great mage and swordsman, like the legends of old…yes, you could even say like Kalan Lockeheart and his companions. Then, someone came to me to grant me the strength I sought…Rezo, the Red Priest."

"Rezo!?" Lina burst out in shock. "You mentioned him before…are you saying he's responsible for that body of yours?"

"Yes…and more than that. Rezo is both my grandfather and great-grandfather. That's probably why he took an interest in me…."

"Your…." Lina shook her head. "That's…surprising. Rezo, the Red Priest…the blind Archmage who walked the lands for centuries. He was never sighted commonly, but there were always enough tales of him to keep the legend going…his exploits were drowned out by the Red Wings, but it was said that he was active in saving lives during the war. But it's been several years since anything was last heard about him…and now…you're saying he's done things like…?"

"Rezo was, perhaps, originally a good man with pure intentions," Zelgadis allowed. "However…something darker was inside of him, driving him. My entire life, from perhaps my birth to the culmination of my transformation into this form, was part of his machinations. He never revealed what they were to me, not up to the moment he was killed."

"Killed?"

"I don't know how it happened," Zelgadis said. "It was about five years ago, and at the time I was an officer in the army of beastmen and mercenary mages he'd been assembling. Zolf and Rodimus were part of that group. Rezo was usually out alone, pursuing his agendas, and only leaving occasional orders with us." He shook his head. "I don't know how, or why…but at that moment five years ago, I knew that he was dead. Either in my blood, or in my created body, I had a link with him, and I felt it when he died. Shortly afterwards, the army dissolved and I went my own way.

"I've hated this body ever since Rezo gave it to me, and I've hated Rezo as well. I had a mixture of feelings when I felt his death…mostly a mixture of relief and dismay, relief over my freedom, but dismay over the fact that I retained this cursed body. My greatest desire has been to find a way to change my body back to normal."

"And that's why you're working for Horius…he promised to return you to normal." Lina nodded. "I see…but even if what I've told you about Eminus has made you suspicious of Horius and whether he can keep his promises, why are you releasing me?"

"Well," Zelgadis said, turning away. "It's true that you're not really much use to me magically right now…with your magic power sealed away, you're nothing more than a sharp-tongued brat…."

Lina twitched in anger. "Listen, you! Whose fault do you think that is in the first place!?"

"Regardless," the man continued, ignoring her, "it's not as if my suspicions about Horius started with your testimony. But you have friends and allies scattered across this world, don't you?"

"Yes…but key word: they're scattered. They could be anywhere…and even if we could gather them all that easily, what are you planning to do with them? What do they have to do with your issues with Horius?"

"I was never much interested in working for Horius to begin with, and his evasion about the matter proves that he has no intention of restoring my body to normal, despite his promises…at least not until he's thoroughly used me up. However, if he's studied the arts of chimeric transformations and creations with Rezo, he should have the knowledge to do so. So if I can't coax it out of him, I'll simply have to beat it out of him. That will make the Obsidian Star my enemy, so I might as well gather as many allies as I can to oppose them…and from what I've heard and learned, you and yours should be counted amongst their staunchest opponents, right?"

"I guess so…so now all of a sudden you've decided to become buddy-buddy with us? Well, it got me out of there, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining…."

A long, hoarse laugh suddenly broke through the silence of the night. "So, that's what it is, Zelgadis? You're betraying us for this brat?"

Zelgadis turned as the green-furred wolfman emerged from the shadows. "Listening in, Dilgear? Then you should have heard everything. I have no need to for loyalty to those who only give me empty promises."

"Ha!" Dilgear laughed again. "So, then, it seems we've come to opposite sides, Zelgadis. I always thought that would happen." More monstrous humanoids came into view as Dilgear drew his sword. "Well, then…I guess we'll have to deal with you…."

"So these are your usual companions, Dilgear?" the other man responded, drawing his own sword. "More of Horius' creations? Not surprised. You'd better stand back, Miss Inverse…."

"Taking on this many yourself, eh? Don't be cocky, kid!" Dilgear and his goons came charging in.

Zelgadis stood still as he waited for them, then he suddenly opened a palm. "Fireball!" To the surprise of his opponents, however, he did not throw it their way, but threw it at his own feet. The resulting explosion of the deliberately small magic spell obscured them.

As Lina recoiled in surprise, Zelgadis went dashing by, snatching her up as he went. They were long by the time Dilgear and his cronies had recovered from their sight.

"H-hey! Watch where you're grabbing!" Lina demanded. "And are you crazy, with a stunt like that?"

"It worked, didn't it?" Zelgadis replied as he dumped Lina to the ground. "C'mon. We better keep moving."

"Great," Lina grumbled. "Well, where to, anyway? You got a plan?"

Zelgadis shrugged and turned away. "We do pretty much what you were doing in the first place. We wander…on our way to Orimus. I assume that was your destination before I captured you, after 'Kalan Lockeheart's' grand demonstration. That's as good as any other destination…and we'll pick up whoever we can on the way, including your blond bodyguard, if we find him."

"Great," Lina muttered as she followed after the man. "Yeah, he's probably nothing but a little lost puppy right now…."

8-8-8

Zelgadis seemed intent on avoiding civilization as much as possible. This partially annoyed Lina—despite her adventuring lifestyle, she preferred civilization's comforts, particularly good restaurants—but she understood the reason for it. After all, she was a fugitive, and now Zelgadis could count on being hunted by his former employer.

However, at times Zelgadis did have to stop in town…for supplies, for directions, and for information….

"Something's wrong with this town," Lina muttered as the pair ate in the corner of a small restaurant. "It's too quiet…even for some place out in the sticks of Dalkia's border. This place smells…."

"I agree," Zelgadis said. "I hoped we could get a bit of news here before moving into Halteese, but it might have been a mistake coming here…."

Then there was a scream, and then a trio of trolls burst into eatery (through the wall, in fact). Lina and Zelgadis jumped to their feet and brandished their weapons. They put the foes down hastily, then hurried outside to get a better grasp of the situation.

The town was already in flames, and monsters—orcs, trolls, and beastmen, many bearing the marks of Horius' chimeric transmutations—were rampaging around in force. "Damn," Lina swore. "Did Horius track us here, or did his troops just get lucky?"

"Regardless, we can't stick around…be careful!"

Even as Zelgadis spoke, a group of monsters leapt at the pair, and their charge drove the two apart as they dodged away. Lina rolled to her feet quickly and cupped a hand. "Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright, let thy power gather in my hand! Fireball!"

Red flame energy formed in Lina's grasp, causing her to smile slightly. She hurled the missile at an advancing orc…and it struck him in the face, exploding and blinding him, but causing only superficial physical damage. It thrashed about wildly as Lina hurriedly retreated.

"Blast, still a ways to go," she muttered.

Regardless…that's impressive, Zelgadis thought. The 'magic seal' was a special magical item designed to render mages completely useless. It released a spell, a kind of curse that sealed the 'magical circuits' that ran through humans' bodies, preventing them accessing the flow of mana. They were only temporary, although they would generally last a year or longer, and there were few known ways to dispel the curse. Yet she's been meditating every day, working on undoing the seal from within…and she's actually succeeded, if only to a small degree. A sorcery genius, indeed…if it came to a true battle, with her full power, she would be a fearsome opponent….

And yet, even with her magical power available as little more than a distraction, Lina was impressive. Her sword skills were superb for someone who nearly relied wholly on magic, and she fended off and put down several monsters at they came at her. Zelgadis, meanwhile, quickly mowed down the group with his own potent sword and sorcery, but their numbers were greater still.

Suddenly the group around Lina backed off, leaving her alone. As she looked up in surprise, a humanoid figure approached, something that was at once both more and less human than most of the monsters that she had been fighting. Its legs were thin and knobby, but its feet ballooned out to large, perfectly round discs. Its flesh was green, its arms long and almost hourglass shaped, and its humanoid head held red eyes and slicked-back black hair, with no nose, mouth or ears. It seemed to wear no clothing other than a kind of leather harness, but it had no features that would suggest that nudity was any problem for it.

Lina narrowed her eyes. Even with her magic sealed, she could tell that this thing was quite a bit more than human. "Mazoku," she muttered.

The thing laughed. "Not quite, although they are nearly my kin. I hail not from hell, but from the Obsidian Star…I am Lotesh, and you may think of me as an 'Obsidian Knight'. Normally I would break your body and drink your mana, but Master Horius still has use for you…still, feel free to struggle. It will make my victory all the more entertaining…."

He raised a hand and a swarm of magical missiles flew towards Lina, who dodged backward and began to flee.

"Lina!" Zelgadis cried, but then a large green form flashed into view and dropped on him, and Zelgadis was forced to parry the attacking sword.

"Don't look away, Zelgadis!" Dilgear cried. "Our fun is just starting…."

Zelgadis took up a serious stance. "Do you think you can really stand against me, Dilgear?"

Dilgear sneered. "Who knows…but I don't plan to take you alone." A group of his monsters swiftly flanked him. "Try your best, shaman!"

As Zelgadis clashed with his former ally, Lina was forced farther and farther away from him by the demonic attacker. Lotesh laughed and taunted Lina as he allowed her to just dodge his spells.

Finally Lina tripped and fell…at the feet of another figure. She glanced up in shock at the quizzical face of Gourry Gabriev. "Lina! So you are here! Amazing…."

"W-what are you…is that really you, Gourry!?" Lina demanded incredulously, hardly believing what she was seeing.

Before Gourry could reply, Lotesh interrupted. "Well, well…are you with her, blondie? You, I can kill…."

Gourry glanced up at it and put a hand to his sword. "This guy…is he responsible for attacking you? And for attacking this town?"

Lotesh laughed. "As responsible as anyone. Come, little man! Give me your best!"

"All right!" Gourry agreed, and charged.

"Wait!" Lina protested. "He's a demon, the equivalent of a mazoku! An ordinary sword won't touch him!"

Heedless of her cries, Gourry rushed in, drawing his sword and raising it to strike. Lotesh stood in his path, his arms expanded to the side, welcoming Gourry to attack. Down came the sword, and it cleaved perfectly through the green creature…but nothing else happened. Gourry stared in shock and Lotesh laughed. He raised a hand and a burst of energy sent Gourry flying back to Lina.

"I told you, you idiot…" Lina muttered.

Lotesh laughed again. "Despair, little humans! A sorceress with sealed power and a mindless swordsman are no match for me. Fear, and despair, and give me a little more pleasure before I end this hunt…."

"I see," Gourry muttered as he began to pick himself up. "So I guess an ordinary sword won't work on you, right?"

"That's right," Lotesh agreed. "How well you've done to figure it out!"

"Well then," Gourry said, sheathing his sword. "I guess I'll have to try something else." He started towards Lotesh at a slow walk.

"Wait a minute!" Lina cried again. "Gourry, what are you doing!? You can't fight him without any magic! Just run away!"

"The girl has a point," Lotesh said. "Has fear made you even more mindless than before? Do you have an aim in mind?"

"Naturally, I'm preparing to defeat you," Gourry declared, stopping.

"Oh, really? With a sheathed sword?"

Gourry removed a pin from a small pouch on his belt and pressed some sort of button or trigger on his sword's handle. There was a faint 'click'. "Did that mean anything to you?" Gourry said, smiling at the demon.

"Alas, the pin is less mighty than even your useless sword," Lotesh replied.

"What about this!?" Gourry declared, pulling his sword back out…except that there was no longer a blade on the ornate handle.

"I can see your brain is even more addled than before. Tell me, what's the next step in your little game?"

"The next step…is checkmate." Gourry took the 'weapon' in both hands. "Light come forth!" he cried, and in response a beam of blue-white light emerged from the hole at the top of the hilt. It exploded into shape and hummed as it shimmered in front of their eyes.

Lina and Lotesh both stared in shock as Gourry held up his would-be lightsaber. "It can't be," Lina breathed. "That's…."

With a battle cry, Gourry charged forward, and Lotesh, shrieking in terror, could do nothing to stop the onslaught. His dodge was slow, and Gourry cut the demonic creature in two with the light. His body slowly evaporated from its two halves as Gourry calmly walked away, his sword winking out as he replaced it in its sheath. He started as he saw Lina staring at him, her eyes shining.

"Gourry…" she murmured.

"L-Lina…?" Gourry hazarded.

"You've gotta let me have that sword!" Lina burst out, rushing up on him. "I'll tell you what…I'll give you five hundred juls for it!"

"Five hundred…hey, that's only the price of an ordinary sword!" Gourry protested.

"Oh, fine then…five thousand juls!" Lina offered generously.

"Listen, do you even know what this sword is?"

Lina blinked in surprise, shocked that he would even ask. "Of course I do. It's the legendary Sword of Light, an ancient weapon that was used to defeat the Demon Beast Zanifar around five hundred years ago. Although, thinking about it, I wonder how you got a hold of it…."

"It's my family heirloom," Gourry explained. "My ancestor first used it a long time ago…to kill…." He thought hard. "A demon beast…Zennifur? Jennifer? Zani…."

"It's Zanifar, you moldy-brained zombie! The Demon Beast Zanifar! I just mentioned it!" After throttling Gourry a little, Lina sighed and relented. "Well, so you're the descendant of the legendary Swordsman of Light? You don't seem it. You should tell people these kinds of things! But enough of that; I'm glad to see you and all…thanks for saving my life and everything…but how did you find me, anyway?"

There was a laugh from off to Lina's left. She turned and narrowed her eyes at the man seated at a nearby table, completely at ease in the midst of the chaos around them as he sipped tea. He smiled at her and waved. "We meet again, Lina-san. I admit I am the one who pointed him your direction."

Lina remembered him quite well. The short, purple hair in a bowl cut, the closed, mocking eyes, the black and yellow outfit and cloak, the staff with a large red orb on the top…it was the 'priest' she remembered quite well….

8-8-8

Gourry glanced around. "And where'd Lina go?" he wondered aloud.

"I'm afraid she was kidnapped."

Gourry turned and raised an eyebrow at the man who was suddenly standing there. "Who are you?" Then, before he could receive a reply, he exclaimed, "Oh, I see! You're a traveling entertainer!"

The man, about the give his introduction, was brought up short by this assessment and nearly fell over. "T-that's not quite right…" he began. He straightened up, coughed into his fist, and, his dignity somewhat recovered, he introduced himself. "My name is Xellos…the Roguish Priest. I can help you find Lina Inverse…if that's what you want…."

"If that's what I want?" Gourry blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she's irritable, easily angered, greedy and selfish…do you really want to risk your life for a girl like that?"

Gourry folded his arms and considered. "Well…all that you say is pretty much true…but still, I promised that I would be her bodyguard and protect her! So if you can help me find her…then lead on!"

Xellos smiled at him. "Hmm. Nice choice. Well, we should be able to meet up with her if we go this way…."

"Hey!" Gourry began. "How do you know all of this, anyway?"

Xellos smiled and put a finger to his lips. "That…is a secret!"

8-8-8

"But not so much," Lina said. "Xellos, the Roguish Priest…but in other circles, someone who usually bears the epithets of 'Beast Priest' and 'The Riddler'. A true mazoku, the lone priest and general of 'Greater Beast' or 'Beastmaster' Zelas Metallium, and someone who wields about as much power as a demon prince." Lina half-smirked and half-glared at him. "You had me fooled for a long time, Xellos."

"Ah…t-that's…."

"A demon…huh!?" Gourry started. "Him!?"

"That's right." Lina turned back to the 'priest'. "Kain and those girls told me about how you helped out in the alternate timeline…where that student of his revealed magic to the world. Since I didn't travel with them, that alternate version of me never existed and I don't remember anything about it. But 'outsiders' like you have knowledge outside of time and space, so you remember that event…don't you?"

Xellos sighed. "Indeed I do," he admitted. "I really didn't want you to find out yet, but at the time there was little else I could do to ensure that Kain-san was able to correct the timeline. But, more importantly…isn't there someone else here we should help out?"

Lina and Gourry stared at him, then Lina started. "Oh, that's right! Zelgadis!"

"Zelgadis?" Gourry asked. "Who's that?"

"Never mind! Let's go!" Lina started hurrying back towards her newest ally, with Gourry and Xellos trailing her.

8-8-8

Zelgadis cut down the last of the monsters and turned to Dilgear. "Well, that's the last of your friends…are you finally ready to try your luck, wolfman?"

"Ha!" Dilgear barked back, readying his sword. "Do you really think you can cut me down? Let's see!"

Dilgear dashed in; Zelgadis dodged back and slashed him across the shoulder. To his surprise, Dilgear turned on him as if unwounded and struck back at Zelgadis. The spellsword leapt out of the way as Lina and company came running into view. "Zelgadis!" she cried.

Dilgear grinned his fang-filled grin at Zelgadis. The wound in his shoulder sealed itself almost instantly. "It seems you forgot," he said, patting his shoulder. "I'm not all wolf…I'm part troll, too,"

"Now that just seems unfair," Lina protested.

Zelgadis, however, smiled grimly. "I see. I did forget. Oh well." He raised his sword and, with a cry, came charging in again…rather recklessly, it would seem.

"No! Don't leave yourself open!" Lina cried.

Dilgear dodged under Zelgadis heavy strike and lashed out with his own blade, cutting Zelgadis across the stomach as he dashed past. However, the edge of Dilgear's blade cracked and splintered. "What!?" Dilgear demanded, aghast.

Zelgadis chuckled as he turned back to the man, his sword lowered. There was an evident slash through this tunic at abdomen level, but the flesh underneath…glistened slightly. "And you, Dilgear, forgot that I am one-third golem."

Cursing under his breath, Dilgear sheathed his damaged sword and began to spring away. "You just wait until I tell Master Horius on you! You'll regret this!"

"Whatever," Zelgadis sighed, sheathing his sword. He turned as Lina approached, the other two men flanking her. "It seems you've picked up some friends…your swordsman bodyguard and…." He narrowed his eyes at Xellos. "Who is this suspicious-looking vagabond?"

Xellos pointed at himself. "Suspicious-looking?" he asked, sounding somewhat hurt.

"He's Xellos. He's a mazoku," Lina explained matter-of-factly. "I don't know what motives he has, but he's helping us out…for now." She turned to Xellos. "Speaking of which, now that we're relatively safe, maybe you could explain a little bit about what you're doing here…and, not that I'm ungrateful you guided Gourry here to help out, but I'd really like to know about your motives…."

"Ah, well…that…is a secret. Well, that's what I'd like to say, but at the rate things are progressing, the Obsidian Star is going make things very troublesome for us. So, I guess I do owe you some measure of explanation…."

8-8-8

Zelgadis and Gourry watched the pair walk away. "Will they really be all right?" Gourry asked.

"If that Xellos is really a mazoku, and if everything he told us is true, then she'll be as safe with him for now as she would with anyone," Zelgadis replied. "And if Xellos can really take her to a sorcery doctor who can undo the seal I placed on her…that'll be the best for her. We'll just have to wait for her at Halteese…and try to distract Horius' forces in the meantime. Let's go." He turned and started away, and, after a moment, Gourry turned and followed him.

Man…how incredible, Lina thought. Who knew that the Obsidian Star had a secret like this? Well…this is bigger than I ever imagined. I have to let Kain know about this as soon as possible…and to have a chance of meeting up with him, I'm gonna have to get my powers back….

"So can this sorcery doctor really undo this magic seal?" Lina demanded of Xellos.

"Why, of course! Runan is a famous sorcery doctor who can undo any number of curses and enchantments. We'll have you back in tip-top shape in no time!"

"Right. If you say so." She glanced back over her shoulder. Zelgadis…Gourry…I'll be back soon. Kain…Nodoka…Yue…Ami…the rest of you…don't worry. We'll stop the Obsidian Star…and get you all home….

8-8-8

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Zelgadis Greywords

Well! Finally got that chapter put away. This chapter consists of a pair of mated ideas from the Slayers series—one from the original series, and one from NEXT. The introduction of Zelgadis in the first series was the basis for this, and it mostly followed that arc. Rezo sent Zelgadis and his crew (more on him in a minute) after Lina because she had acquired a 'Philosopher's Stone'—an item he needed to unseal his blind eyes. Lina, at the time, was powerless because it was 'that time of the month'. Although this little footnote was interesting and even integral to the plot at this point, interestingly, the whole 'that time of the month' scenario never really came up again, even though it should have happened, you know, once a month. It is an interesting idea to use sometime in magic…but not here. Instead, I had Lina's power sealed by an adaptation from Tales of the Abyss, their 'fonic seal'. Jade Curtis is introduced to the party as a 40s-level super mage (the rest of the party is around 10) and then the Divine General Largo the Black Lion uses a 'fon seal' on him. It's mostly a plot device to put him around the party's level, and he explains over the course of the adventure that he's working on undoing the fon seal on himself, and around level 50 says he's undone it, but didn't expect everyone to catch up to him in power by the time he finished. In any case, as 'fonic power' is pretty much just like magic, so the idea of a powerful one-shot magic item that could long-term seal magic kind of appealed. This isn't the first time I have used it here, either…it's the same item Gafgarion tried to use against Kalan in the flashback I used in Part 8. Here, it presented a great opportunity to use against Lina to seal her so Zelgadis could easily capture her. And as Zelgadis suddenly decided to release her and join her team, turning against his master—in the original, Rezo, this time, Horius—my adaptation led into the second Slayers' motif, when the mazoku Magenta seals Lina's power. Xellos (who hadn't appeared yet in the earlier series) takes Lina to see a sorcery doctor to unseal it while the rest of the party guards Philionel, Crown Prince of Seyruun, from Magenta and her colleague Kanzel. That's where the next chapter with Lina will pick up, and I'll talk about that when it gets there.

Now, Rezo the Red Priest was the main villain throughout most of the original Slayers series, and there was a temptation to leave him involved. However, he's a bit too big for the bit part each of these side groups is, if I have his full past revealed here. So he's going to serve another purpose…to show what happened to Gato Kagura Vandenberg five years ago. Perhaps I'll save off talking about that until the flashback comes….

_Zelgadis Greywords is the third major character of the Slayers series. Introduced initially as an antagonist, he quickly forsakes his old ties and aids Lina and Gourry against Rezo. He is generally their comrade throughout the rest of the series…at the end of each separate series, the group generally separates, and then its members meet up again in the first episode of the next series, and occasionally they meet him being contracted by their enemy, but he quickly finds reasons to switch sides. His past is quite as he explained it…a youth seeking power was approached by Rezo (whom he finds to be his grandfather and great grandfather…) and was changed into a powerful chimeric creature, part construction, part monster and part human. Having his wish granted in such a horrible way, his entire purpose is to find a way to get back to normal, a quest that is never fulfilled, and which he pursues (usually with questionable help from Lina) over the course of the series. Zelgadis is generally antisocial and tries to act more ruthless than he is, and early on (during the early parts of the first two series) often tries to go his own way and avoid the rest of the 'party'. However, eventually he grows to accept them all and stops complaining about their attention. He is skilled in magic, particularly 'Shamanism', a magic that, in Slayers mythos, instead of contracting the power of demons (Black Magic) or the power of the heavenly race (White Magic), calls on the spirits of the astral plane and those native to the earth. He is also a skilled swordsman who can enchant his sword to make it stronger and resist other spells. He is one of the main four—and the last I'll introduce in this story. I already have too many kingdoms to introduce Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun and her kingdom in….

So, we again pause the Slayers angle to take up Kagome and Inuyasha's story. Avant!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Five: Electric! The Fox Child and the Thunder Brothers!

"Kaze no Kizu (Wind Scar)!"

The wave of energy washed forward, putting an end to the demonic creature. Kagome clapped as Inuyasha turned away, putting his sword away as it reverted back to its battered, thinner state. "Nicely done," she congratulated him. "You're getting better at using that thing."

"Yeah," the hanyô said negligently. "I wish I could say the same for you and your archery skills."

"Well, excuse me!" Kagome replied huffily. "I never took any kyûdo classes or anything! Just because I'm related to that family doesn't make me an archer…."

"Yeah, I can see that." He turned away. "We should get going."

Kagome sighed as she started after him. "Hard to believe it's been three weeks since we started our journey," she said wistfully. "I wonder how everyone else is doing…?

"And when are we going to get to civilization?" she complained. "It's been forever since I've had a bath…."

"Ah, cripes, quit your complaining. Takamori was a pretty backwater place, which was one of the reasons I drifted here in the first place. Less people to bother me…."

"Right, right…."

The two continued their argumentative banter, occasionally joined by Myôga the flea, unaware that a pair of eyes watched them from the shadows….

8-8-8

Kagome's arrow, blazing with spiritual energy, struck home, and the small lizard-like creature convulsed in pain as it slowly dissolved. "I got him!" she exulted, turning to Inuyasha in triumph.

Inuyasha gave a kind of harrumph sound and sheathed his sword. "Not bad. See? Tracking through the wilderness like this has at least helped somewhat. Too bad you've finally picked up the knack when it's no use. Another day and we'll be in the 'civilized' lands of Halteese, and that should put an end to most of our battles."

"Yeah, yeah," Kagome sighed, deflated. "In any case, we're almost to…Loreet, was it?"

"That's right," Myôga replied. "A small town, but it has most of the civilized amenities you're used to, including a public video screen used for major news events…common in the smaller towns of these lands that don't have regular televisions. What's your plan once we get there?"

The two had put their weapons away and were moving now finally out of forest and onto something resembling a road. Kagome considered. "I really need to get more information," she sighed. "Myôga-jii-san told me that we're all wanted for destroying the Gateports…I hope no one else got caught. I've got to find some way of disguising myself, or else I could be in trouble…."

Inuyasha snorted. "Why bother? It's not like anyone will recognize you anyway. I mean, there's not anything significant about you. You're not that pretty or anything…."

Kagome stopped and glowered after him. Then she said, "Osuwari," and Inuyasha collapsed magically to the ground.

"Well!" she continued indignantly as Inuyasha twitched on the ground. "Excuse me for not being noticeable! I don't know how this Kikyô could ever stand you! And speaking of which, you must not have thought anything of her in the first place, if I'm supposed to look just like her…."

She stopped suddenly as she stared up at the strange, blue-green flames that appeared overhead. "You," boomed a noticeably immature and childlike voice from the flame. "You, who trespass on the land of the great demon…the great demon…Shuppozuka…you must pay for your trespass…." Then the swirling flames transformed into…a pink balloon with large, white eyes. It drifted closer to the pair.

Kagome stared up at it. "Is this supposed to be frightening?" she asked Inuyasha as the hanyô pulled himself to his feet.

"You must pay! That yôkai-slaying sword you carry, that is the price that must be paid for your trespass!"

"What is this supposed to be?" Inuyasha growled.

"Hmm," replied Myôga, who was sitting on Inuyasha's shoulder. "I believe it's kitsune bi (foxfire)."

Kagome calmly reached into a pocket of her navy blue skirt and pulled out a small stick. "Let's see…" she muttered to herself. "How did it go?" She pointed the wand at the cloud and intoned, "Shatter, thou world of soulless mirrors."

And the balloon exploded, turning into a small figure as it zipped around through the air (like, indeed, a burst balloon) and finally fell to the ground in front of them. It moaned audibly and then demanded, "Who's the one who dares burst my bubble?"

Inuyasha stomped over and picked it up…by its bushy tail. "So, what's this? That 'great demon' is just this little tanuki cub?"

"I'm a fox!" the little figure responded angrily. It was dressed in a kind of orange vest over a blue shirt and blue trousers, but its bare feet completely resembled an animal's feet…yes, a fox's paws, indeed. The bushy tail, which Inuyasha now held, emerged from the seat of said trousers, yet its hands and face appeared human. It had its brown hair in a bushy pony tail, bound by a blue ribbon, and the most inhuman features of its head were its slightly pointed ears, ears that greatly resembled Kenjirô's.

"Fox, tanuki, whatever," Inuyasha droned with ennui, shaking the runt slightly. "So, what's your story, anyway, trying to scare travelers and steal my sword? Not that I really care…."

"After you're done, can I feel it?" Kagome asked, staring at the bushy tail as she pocketed her wand.

"I'm trying to teach a lesson here!" Inuyasha shot back angrily. As he turned his attention away, the child reached into a pocket and suddenly brought out an object and held it up to Inuyasha's hand.

"Huh?" The next instant Inuyasha's grasp came free of the demon and was crushed under an extreme weight. It was the form of a pottery doll, black and looking slightly like a tanuki—it was called a jizô by the Japanese, a representation of a guardian spirit of children. Inuyasha's hand smashed into the ground and lay there, immobile under the extreme weight of the strange object. Inuyasha struggled mightily to free his hand, but to no avail. "What the hell is this!?" he demanded.

The fox leapt over and scooped up Inuyasha's sword, scabbard and all. "Our time together was short but sweet!" it intoned with fervor. "Farewell!" Then it vanished with a pop. Inuyasha cried in shock and the three looked around desperately.

"Well, what's that over there?" Myôga remarked. The sword was visible in the grass by the road, bobbing clumsily in the air as demon struggled to carry it. Growling in rage, Inuyasha managed to upset the object that crushed his hand, and followed after the pint-sized thief.

Inuyasha almost instantly caught up to his antagonist and walloped him directly over the head. A moment later he replaced his sword as Kagome applied her wand to the wound. "This might sting a bit," she cautioned as she let her small healing spell deal with the injury—despite its intentions, she couldn't bring herself to treat the child poorly. "Why do you need Inuyasha's sword anyway?" Kagome asked.

"Who cares!?" Inuyasha barked. "It's just a stupid…."

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned him dangerously, glaring at him. Inuyasha, remembering the punishment he had received mere moments earlier, fell silent with a grumble.

Kagome returned her gaze to the child, who looked up at her with defiance as it blinked away its tears. "I need it," it mumbled. "I've been watching you for a while now. It's a powerful yôkai-slaying sword, right? There are really powerful yôkai around here, and I need to kill them."

"A weak little fox girl like you wants to kill other powerful demons?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Even with this sword, you wouldn't have a prayer!"

"I'm a boy! My name is Shippô!" the kit replied angrily. "You'll see! I will get my revenge on them! They killed my ôto, and I'm not going to let them get away with it!"

Kagome felt a definite pang of sympathy for the child. "Revenge?" she questioned. "You mean your father's…dead? Who are these demons?"

"They're called the Thunder Brothers." Shippô explained. "They killed my ôto in order to take the Shapesphere he guarded."

"Hmm…the Thunder Brothers," Myôga intoned. "Hiten and Manten. The last surviving members of the Thunder Demon Tribe…they are supposed to be evil incarnate indeed. But what would two human-eating yôkai like that be doing so close to the civilized lands of Halteese? It wouldn't take any time at all to get a squad of BattleMages here to deal with them if the humans noticed them…."

"What's the Shapesphere?" Kagome interjected.

"The Shapesphere is a magical artifact that my family has guarded for generations," Shippô explained. "It's a marble that enhances the native powers inside the one who uses it and changes its shape according to those powers and its user's personality. It's the reason the Thunder Brothers came this close to Halteese. BattleMages don't bother with yôkai that don't attack humans, of course—even if humans in the cities are prejudiced against yôkai—so my father and I were perfectly safe. But something drove the Thunder Brothers down this way, gave them power and pointed them our direction, or something. That's what I heard them talking about while I was spying on them afterwards…that, and some sword and some girl…."

Kagome stared at Shippô for a few moments. "Inuyasha, I think we should help Shippô out and defeat these demons for him."

Inuyasha glanced sidelong at her. "Are you crazy? Why should we? This kid is a thief that tried to take my sword…and we don't even know if he's telling the truth. This business sounds fishy to me, and besides, weren't you the one who wanted to get to civilization so you could get yourself a 'bath' and all that? And now you suddenly want to go out of our way to help this thief of a brat?"

"Well, I don't care!" Shippô huffed. "I never said I wanted your help anyway! I'll go and get my revenge on my own! I wouldn't ask the help of a stupid half-demon in a hundred years! I can smell the human in you. A half-human shouldn't get involved in yôkai business."

"What's that, squirt!?"

"Hanyô are weak and stupid…besides of course that you're a dog. You couldn't beat the Thunder Brothers in a hundred years…."

But Inuyasha interrupted Shippô's rant with a barrage of punches upon his little head. "Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, and even Myôga mentioned the childishness of Inuyasha's actions.

As soon as Inuyasha's attacks relented, Shippô tore himself from the hanyô's grasp and dropped to his hands and knees, repeatedly dropping his head to the ground. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he pleaded tearfully.

"Heh. As long as you understand," Inuyasha crowed.

Shippô reached into his vest. "In apology…."

He then dropped something on Inuyasha's hands…which immediately grew into another super-weight jizô statue. Shippô instantly followed this up by slapping a fûda, a talisman in the shape of a strip of paper, onto the statue. He laughed in triumph and explained, "Unless that seal is removed, the jizô cannot be moved!"

"Why, you little…!" Inuyasha seethed.

"Hey, now!" Kagome objected, stepping forward.

Shippô regarded her. "And now, though I hate to do violence to a lady…." He jumped up cracked Kagome across the back of the neck. "…I'll have to have you sleep for a while!"

Kagome merely rounded on him, her own anger mounting. "That hurts, you know!"

"Eh!?" Shippô cried, shocked that his sure-kill martial arts failed. "Well, try this! Kitsune bi!"

The flames daunted Kagome suitably, and soon Shippô was scurrying away, Tetsusaiga once again in his hands. "I'll beat those Thunder Brothers with this!"

"The Tetsusaiga!" Kagome started after the fox-boy. "Give it back! I'm really getting mad now!"

"Hey, Kagome!" Inuyasha called desperately. "Get this ward off me before you go! Hey!"

8-8-8

A round and rather repulsive 'individual', for lack of a better word, stooped down and examined his reflection in the pool formed by rainwater. He was inhuman to say the least, short and fat with a long, animal-like face, smooth bald skin and rows of sharp teeth in its massive maw, dressed in various kinds of mismatched clothing and armor. A large furred orange sash of some kind adorned his waist, but his most prominent trait—at least, what he seemed to be paying the most attention to—was his three single strands of hair on the top of his head. "Ho…my hair," he murmured to himself, full of feeling and melancholy. If only I had full, flowing locks like Hiten-an-chan. Then I'd be as popular with the ladies as he is…."

The pair had just finished ravaging a nearby village their newly-grown powers, and they had separated temporarily to relax after the endeavor. As Myôga had said, continuous acts of this sort would draw the attention of Halteese's potent magical force, but these were two yôkai who, drunk on power, did not much regard the concerns of tomorrow over the pleasure of the day. However, the concerns of the day did draw their attention, and this demon, Manten by name, perked up suddenly as he sensed the presence. "What's that? A small amount of yôki…."

Shippô panted as he looked around, clutching the sword to his chest. "Did that do it?" he muttered. "I think I managed to lose her…."

"What do we have here?" boomed Manten as he appeared looming above the kitsune. "Why, I do believe it's the whelp of the kitsune from the other day. And what's this you've brought me? What a curious sword…."

"M-Manten…" Shippô breathed, paralyzed with fear over the memories involved with this beast…the one, in particular, that had dealt the killing blow to his father. Then his eyes fell upon the orange belt the creature sported. "T-that's…!"

Manten laughed and patted the fur. "That's right. This is your oyaji's pelt. How he must have comforted you before…it's so nice and warm…."

Shippô gritted his teeth, his anger replacing his fear for a decisive moment. "How dare you!" he screamed. "This time, with this sword, I'll get revenge for my father!"

With impressive dexterity he adjusted his grip on the scabbard in an instant, dropping it into a position where he could reach his tiny hands towards the massive hilt. As they closed on it, however, there was a burst of power and Shippô was repulsed. He cried in pain as he was thrown backwards, and the sword clattered to the ground.

Manten stared for a moment, and then began to laugh uproariously. "How amusing! The kit brought a blade to fight with, but the blade refused him! This is a curious sword…." He reached for it himself, but even before his hand touched the scabbard it emitted the same rejecting force, and Manten hurriedly withdrew his stricken member. "Hooo…." He turned back to Shippô, who was picking himself up off the ground and staring in shock. "Say, brat, what gives? Where did you get this thing from, anyway…?"

As he menacingly approached the demon child, an arrow suddenly flew in from the left, piercing the lightning demon rather cartoonishly right through its prominent beastlike nose. Shippô turned, still overcome with shock, to Kagome, who was rather taken aback herself. "It…it hit…" the girl muttered to herself.

As Manten turned to her, she recovered and quickly knocked another arrow. "Don't move!" she threatened him. "The next one is going right through your head!"

8-8-8

And how was Inuyasha faring in the meantime?

"Hey!" he barked at the passerby. "Stop running away! I'm telling you, take this charm off!"

"Yôkai fiend!" the peasant wailed as he fled.

And so….

"Don't move!" Kagome insisted again.

"My nose…" the demon whined.

Shippô stared in shock. "K-Kagome…."

"Shippô-chan, grab Tetsusaiga and hurry over here!" Kagome instructed the kitsune. "Hurry!"

Shippô moved to comply, but this larger action triggered Manten and woke him from his own lethargic shock brought on by pain, surprise, and Kagome's commanding demands. He focused on the fleeing child and leapt at him. "You little brat! You won't get away!"

"Give it up!" Shippô insisted, dodging deftly.

To Kagome's awakened magic sight, something glinted in Manten's, for lack of a better word, forehead. Some kind of magic jewel…? If I hit that…! She released her arrow.

The arrow struck Manten, but a little above the crystal. Darn! I only grazed him! She desperately knocked another arrow.

To her further surprise, however, the blow did stop Manten in his tracks. The blade of the arrow, in skimming his wide, round head, had shaved two of the demon's three precious hairs. Manten reached up to his head, his eyes striving to see on top of him and behold the damage, but they soon after focused on the two tiny pieces of hair that began to sway and float to the ground as they passed in front of his eyes. He began making strangling and gurgling noises.

"Eh?" Kagome marveled.

"MMMMYYYYY HAAAAAAIIIIIRRR!" Manten screamed, throwing his face towards the sky as he roared. Then he turned his gaze back on Kagome. "How…dare…you…." Energy began to build inside his mouth, casting light around him.

"Oh, no!" Shippô cried. "Run, Kagome! That's the attack that killed my ôto-san!" He grabbed her by the arm and started dragging her away as he explained this.

Nevertheless, it served no benefit. Manten opened his mouth wide, and an explosion of lightning issued forth. They managed to dodge the direct hit, but they were both thrown opposite directions by the ensuing explosion. Kagome hit the ground hard and lay still right next to the blackened crater. Shippô, less harmed by the attack, picked himself up and, an instant later, ran over to her. "Kagome!" he whispered. "Are you okay?"

Manten panted for a second to recover from the exertion of releasing that much power, then surveyed the scene of destruction. "Did I get them?" He moved through the tall grass until he came upon Kagome's still form. "Just the girl, huh?" He looked at her carefully. "Oh…she's…a pretty thing…." Chuckling to himself, he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. Then black clouds gathered around him, until they formed a kind of cushion he could sit on, and they took off into the air, carrying him with them.

Shippô, hiding nearby, stared after them. "Kagome…" he whispered. "She…tried to save me…and yet I…." He began to weep, but quickly stifled his tears and screwed up his face with determination. He turned back to the sword that was the cause of the whole incident and stared at it for several long seconds. "I can't do anything…but with this sword…he could…." He scooped up the weapon and hurried off.

8-8-8

Myôga strained at the paper, but pull as he might, it wouldn't budge. "It's no good, Inuyasha-sama," he confirmed. "I can't take this ward off."

"Damn that kitsune runt," Inuyasha growled.

"Hey!" Inuyasha glanced up in surprise as Shippô appeared, posturing arrogantly. "I might help you!" He hopped over to the dog-demon. "In exchange, promise you won't hit me!"

Inuyasha stared at the little demon carefully. He was still carrying the Tetsusaiga, but there was a significant missing presence he noticed. "Alone?" he demanded. "What happened to Kagome?"

"Do you promise or not?" Shippô insisted.

"I won't hit you, idiot," Inuyasha confirmed.

Shippô scooped the paper off the jizô and the statue magically minimized in size. Shippô, no longer seeming to carry the paper, took the tiny toy and began to toss it imperiously up and down in his hand. "Okay, calm down and listen…."

A moment later he was clutching his freshly-bruised head as Inuyasha returned the Tetsusaiga to its place at his side. "You promised you wouldn't hit me!" he whined accusingly.

"Right. So, about Kagome…?" Inuyasha pressed.

"This is no time to be acting calm! Kagome was carried off by the Raijû Kyôdai!"

"The Thunder Brothers? Aren't they your oyaji's enemies? You met?" He scooped Shippô up by his tail and stared him in the face. "Hmm…judging by your expression, you didn't manage to get revenge…." Inuyasha's own expression turned into an angry scowl. "You little brat…did you just sit and watch while Kagome was carried away!?"

"S-shut up!" Shippô riposted angrily. "Hurry up and go rescue her already! She's your woman, isn't she?"

Inuyasha stared at Shippô in shock. Then he angrily began to grind the kit's face into the dirt. "It's not like that!" he insisted. He let go stood up, and turned around, slipping his hands into the sleeve opposite as Shippô began to pick himself up. "However…I'm not unwilling to save her." Glancing over his shoulder at the boy, he demanded, "Prostrate yourself. Do that, and I'll forgive you for everything you've done."

"W-wha…!?" Shippô's own hackles began to rise.

Myôga hopped onto his shoulder. "Shippô. Just this once, ask for his favor as he demands. In a situation like this, it's you who must show maturity…if you do…."

The thought of humbling himself to this short-tempered, childish, violent bully of a hanyô was humiliating. W-why do I have to go this far…!? He thought of Manten carrying Kagome off. But…I can't save her by myself….

"Crap." He dropped his hands to the ground and bowed his face. "Please help me," he asked, but without much feeling. Silence greeted him. He raised his head in confusion. Inuyasha was already heading the direction Shippô had just come from. He turned back to look at the boy. "What are you groveling for? Let's go."

Shippô stared just a moment longer before jumping to his feet and hurrying after the hanyô.

8-8-8

Inside the Thunder Brothers' fort near the top of a great mountain, Kagome finally bean to stir.

Her eyes blinked open and she slowly, carefully rose. She was lying on some kind of wooden slab, right in front of a large, open window, which was currently at her back. Next to her, lying partially across the slab, was a butcher knife as large as she was. Across the room Manten, with the arrow still sticking ridiculously through his nose, was stirring a bubbling cauldron.

He sensed Kagome rising and half-turned to look at her. "Hmm? You're awake, huh?"

"T-this is…" Kagome murmured, staring at the cauldron. Her assumptions, rather than frightening her, angered her. "Hey, are you going to eat me?"

"Not that," Manten denied easily. "I've heard that the flesh of cute girls is good for the hair. I'm going to boil you down and rub you on my head," he informed her proudly.

Kagome was quite taken aback by this information. "I'd rather be eaten than be turned into hair tonic!" she raged.

"Shh!" Manten shushed her desperately. "Don't shout! If Hiten-an-chan hears you, you really will be eaten…."

"What's this? Have you come back, Manten?"

A door was pushed aside and…a much more human-looking figure entered. Two of them, in fact. The first figure was tall, thin compared to his brother, with dark skin, long braided black hair, fine and pleasant features, but sharp teeth and ears, dressed in rough clothing, a black tunic and red upper armor with baggy black trousers and blue sash. One arm was thrown around the shoulders of his companion, who also looked human, but female, with beautiful long black hair and perfect pearly skin. Other than some jewelry and the snake that wrapped around one shoulder and between her breasts, she wasn't wearing anything at all.

Kagome stared at the seeming young man. "Oh?" she muttered, mostly to herself. "You brothers really don't look very alike, do you?"

"Eh…Hiten-an-chan…" Manten muttered gravely.

Hiten's gaze finally fell on Kagome. "Huh? What's with the girl?"

Kagome's own thoughts were racing as she considered the man. This one looks more human, like Inuyasha and Kenjirô. Perhaps I can reason with him….

Manten jumped protectively in front of Kagome. "T-this one's my spoils!" he insisted.

Hiten laughed. "Don't worry, I won't take her." He turned to his companion. "After all, you are a far more alluring woman, aren't you?"

The woman chuckled. Hiten turned his gaze back to Kagome. "Although something about that girl seems familiar somehow. Where did you find her?"

"Hmm? Oh, just down in the marsh…with the fox-kid…that had the sword…."

Hiten stared. "What? What fox-kid? What sword?"

Manten seemed taken aback by something. "Wait a minute…I think that fox-brat had the sword that Kalovus was talking about…."

"That sword…you idiot!" Hiten's face flashed from a friendly smile to a rage-filled glare in an instant, and the intensity of it took Kagome aback…although it was nothing compared to the shock she received when he punctuated his anger by smashing his fist literally through the face of his lady-friend, killing her instantly. "You just let it get away because you were more dazzled by the girl than the sword! If its power really is comparable to the Shapesphere, we'd be unstoppable!"

Kagome stared in horror. W-wait a minute…this guy is…even more dangerous….

"Nothing for it," Hiten sighed, his choleric temper fleeing as quickly as it had come. "We'll just have to go after it now. A kitsune brat has it, you say?"

"Eh? We're going right after it now?" Manten demanded.

"Of course. Let's go, Manten." The more human yôkai headed for the door.

Kagome observed the pair carefully. I've been forgotten. A chance to escape….

But in a moment Manten was next to her, scooping up the cleaver and bringing it down at her. She managed to dodge aside with a small scream, then flared to anger again. "Hey, what are you doing!?" she demanded furiously.

"What do you mean?" Manten replied. "I'm going to kill you so you can't escape, of course. You're going to become my precious hair medicine, after all."

As Kagome fought for a reply, Hiten suddenly interjected, "Hold a minute, Manten."

As Manten looked back in surprise, his brother approached and considered Kagome more carefully. "I thought I recognized her. Kalovus said the sword was being carried by a dog-demon hanyô, accompanied by the woman. I don't know how the sword came into a kitsune's hands, but that doesn't matter right now. You're her, aren't you? The woman who can unseal the lands of power."

Kagome stared in surprise. What…? That's…how that centipede saw me, too…are these two related to that incident, somehow…?

"Eh? Hiten-an-chan, she is…?"

"You didn't totally mess up, Manten," Hiten informed him. "We've got the one prize right here. If Takamori's power is released for our benefit, the weapons will be just playthings after all…but I'd like them all, if possible."

"Ah…but didn't we promise Kalovus…?"

"Why should we keep any kind of a deal with a stinking human?" his brother said scathingly. "In any case, we can't kill her yet. I'll just shock her enough to make her unconscious until we come back…."

As he raised his hand, electricity crackling over it visibly, Kagome suddenly burst out, "W-wait! If you're going after Inuyasha and Tetsusaiga, you've got to take me with you!"

"What?" Manten demanded.

"Oh?" his brother added. "And why is that?"

"W-well…" Kagome continued, thinking quickly. "You'll lose the chance to unlock Tetsusaiga's true power!"

The two stared at her, suitably captivated. "Tetsusaiga has a seal on it—those who don't know the secret can't touch it. Manten knows—when he did try to grab the sword before, it rejected him."

"Is she telling the truth, Manten?" Hiten demanded.

"Er…yes, she is…the kitsune brat tried to draw it but was repulsed, and it stopped me from even touching it…."

Hiten turned back to Kagome. "So what's the secret then? How can we get past the sword's barrier?"

"I don't know," Kagome insisted. "Only Inuyasha, the true master of Tetsusaiga, knows. And that's why you need me."

"Do go on," Hiten insisted.

All right, I've got their full attention! I can do this! "Yes, you see…Inuyasha will never tell you what the secret is, unless you have something that's even more precious. And that would be me. You see...Inuyasha is completely in love with me! If you threatened my life, he would be willing to hand over the Tetsusaiga and reveal its secret in order to save me…."

"Hiten-an-chan! She's obviously lying!" Manten whined.

"I don't know…it might be true," Hiten replied. "At least the part about the sword's seal is true, and if it's the dog-demon hanyô Inuyasha, I have heard tales about him reappearing with that yôkai_-slaying sword. Wouldn't you like to have that for yourself, Manten?"

"But don't we need this girl, too? Why should we exchange her for the sword?"

"You idiot, we won't have to exchange her. Once Inuyasha gives up the sword and its secret, we'll kill him and take them both."

"Oh! Hiten-an-chan, you're brilliant!"

Hook, line, and sinker, Kagome thought. Now we just have to meet up….

Hiten suddenly grabbed Kagome's chin and pulled her in until their faces were mere breaths apart. "But if I find out you've been lying to me," Hiten breathed with fervent and eager threat in his voice, "I'll make you think this girl had it easy when I rearranged her face."

"R-right…." This guy…is serious!

8-8-8

"There it is…." Shippô pointed. "The mountain where the Raijû Kyôdai live."

"What's the matter, Shippô?" Inuyasha asked the yôkai, who was riding his shoulder. "You sound upset. If you're scared, you can go back.

"B-baka! I'm gonna get revenge for my ôto!" He stared at Inuyasha. "What about you? Are you really strong? The Thunder Brothers have powers given to them by somebody strange, and in addition, they now have the Shapesphere!"

"Besides that, I'm worried about Kagome's safety," muttered Myôga from Inuyasha's other shoulder.

"Hmm?" Inuyasha scoffed. "She'll be fine, I bet. She's surprisingly stubborn and headstrong, you know. Tougher than she looks, even if that's not saying much."

"Yes," Myôga continued, "but…those Thunder Brothers…the rumor is that they when they capture attractive human women, they eat them immediately…."

"R-really!?" shrieked Shippô, newfound panic and guilt arising within him. "What'll we do…in that case, she might already be…."

Inuyasha scoffed again. "You idiot, weren't you listening? He said attractive human women. Not Kagome. She doesn't have anything to be worried about."

"Huh? Don't your eyes work?" Shippô shot back. "Of course she'd be in danger!"

"Well, I also think that Kagome is a rather attractive young woman," Myôga agreed.

"Ahh!" Shippô moaned, rubbing his head with both hands in frustration. "She's probably already been gobbled up! It's all my fault!"

"Ahh! Shut up already!" Inuyasha roared, throwing his passengers off.

Suddenly there was a rumble above them. Inuyasha glanced up just in time to be able to dodge aside as a bolt of lightning sheared down next to him. In the air above him, he saw a humanoid figure standing in the air, flying on flaming wheels that hovered magically just inches from his ankles. In Hiten's hand was a weapon that seemed to be a spear with an additional L-shaped blade emerging from the shaft just underneath the point.

"So, you're the hanyô scum called Inuyasha?" demanded Hiten.

"How troublesome," Myôga informed Inuyasha. "That is Hiten, the elder Raijû. This could be bad!"

Shippô climbed atop Inuyasha and hoisted himself up to peer over the top of his head, clinging to his long white hair as if it was reins. "H-hey!" the tyke insisted. "What happened to Kagome!?"

"Heh. Don't worry. I haven't eaten a single finger yet. Manten."

Manten approached, riding his black clouds. "Yoo-hoo!" he called. Sitting in front of him, her shoulder gripped by his meaty paw, was Kagome.

"Inuyasha!" she cried in half-fear half-delight.

"Kagome!" She's alive…. And, despite his previous protests, the weight of doubt and fear was lifted by the power of assurance.

"Heh," Hiten chuckled. "Looking at your face, I guess the girl's story is true. So, if you want to save the life of your beloved woman, hand over your sword Tetsusaiga, and tell me the secret of how to wield it!"

Inuyasha stared, completely taken aback by this announcement. Kagome sweat-dropped as she anticipated the impending collapse of her story.

"Belo…? Who's this 'beloved woman'!?" Inuyasha demanded, rather angrily.

"D-darling…" Kagome called back, pleading in her voice. "What are you being so shy for…?"

"So the wench lied after all…" Manten murmured, glaring at the girl, who tucked her hands by her chin and attempted to look disarming and helpless.

"Heh!" Inuyasha scoffed. "Why would I give up my sword for someone like you!?"

Kagome knew that she had pushed past the limits of their relationship with her story, but his decisive and final refusal tipped her anger again. "What's with you!? Are you that ready to just cast me aside!?"

"Cast you aside!?" Inuyasha retorted. "What the hell are you saying!? You make it sound like we're some sort of loving couple!"

"Well, so only the part about Inuyasha being master of the sword was true," Hiten remarked calmly. "Whatever." He pointed his spear at Inuyasha. "That just means I'll have to force you to give up its secret!"

"You really think you can!?" Inuyasha roared, drawing his blade.

"Impressive sword or not, you're only a hanyô. You're less than half a demon!"

Hiten dove at Inuyasha. The red-robed dog-demon caught the attack and strained against his opponent. "I'll remember those half-demon comments," he breathed. "Hearing them always makes it all the more fun to kill you!"

"In your dreams!" Hiten taunted, releasing a blast of energy that threw Inuyasha away. He pointed his spear at the dog-demon, and a blast of electricity surged out towards Inuyasha.

"Kaze no Kizu!" he howled, bringing his sword down. The wind raced out and met the lightning, and the two forces strained together. Then the wind buckled and vanished, and the lightning continued on, impacting the stunned Inuyasha and throwing him further backwards.

"Not a bad sword," Hiten droned. "That was a pretty powerful attack. But my powers combined with this 'Shapesphere' simply dwarf yours. You don't have a chance!"

"As I thought," Myôga muttered. "That spear is the Shapesphere, formed in a weapon of Hiten's taste. As long as he has that, he might very well be unstoppable…."

"Well, do have any advice?" Inuyasha grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Hmm, well, running away would be ideal," Myôga replied. "I'm going to demonstrate that sage advice. Best of luck!" And despite Inuyasha's protests, the little flea hopped away and vanished.

Tch. Inuyasha readied himself as Hiten prepared to come in again. That spear really is something…this is gonna be a bit difficult….

"Looks like I'm gonna have some fun with you," Hiten boasted, sending more lightning Inuyasha's way. "Seems like you're worth some entertainment to me!"

"Ha! There isn't anyone who's spoken like that to me, or who's fought me, and come away entertained!" Inuyasha knocked away the lightning.

"Excellent! Let's get serious!"

Shippô watched the battle raging back and forth as he crawled up a rocky mound. "Inuyasha, I'll leave Hiten to you," he muttered. He glanced up.

The target of his aim, or targets, both of them, sat on the cloud watching the battle. As Kagome fretted for her hanyô companion, Manten chortled. "Hya hahaha! Go for it, Hiten-an-chan! I'll back you up!" So saying, he opened wide his mouth, and the energy began to build within.

"Hey, you can't attack him too! That's unfair!" Kagome insisted, and, calling on the power of her contract, she shoved the yôkai…sending him sprawling from the cloud and to the rocky terrain below, where he impacted, hard. His lightning discharged at the same time, making a nice explosive effect at his point of impact. "Got him!" Kagome enthused.

Her victory was short-lived, however, for, without Manten to maintain it, the cloud dissipated, leaving Kagome in the air with no perch. She screamed as she fell, but a corner of her mind berated Kain for never teaching her a flying spell.

Hiten and Inuyasha had stopped their battle and turned to stare at the sound of Manten's misfortune, and Inuyasha saw Kagome's plight. "Kagome!" he cried, and moved to catch her fall.

Hiten cut off his retreat, however. "This isn't the time to be worrying about girls, you know!"

"Kagome! Hang on!" Inuyasha pleaded desperately.

"Hang on to what!?" Kagome managed, and immediately after, she landed…right on top of Manten's still form. He actually made a nice enough cushion to prevent Kagome from being injured by the fall (quite probably along with the energy of the contract flowing through her).

"Saved!" she remarked happily as she stood, but again her emotions quickly changed as Manten rose up angrily behind her.

"You wench…" he growled.

"Kyaa! He's alive!"

Suddenly Shippô burst into view, throwing an object at the Raijû. "Kitsune-yôjutsu (Fox Demon Magic)! Spitting Top!"

The green top fell perfectly atop Manten's head, bringing him up short. As he tried once again to look at a place beyond his eyes, the top grew to enormous size and began to spin at high speed, driving Manten to the dirt as it worked on him like a massive drill.

"Kagome! Get over here, quick!" Shippô called.

"Shippô-chan!" Kagome hurried out of the crater and over to the boy, and continued following him as he began to hurry away. "That's an amazing move you've got!" she congratulated him.

"Heh, it's nothing," Shippô said modestly.

"It's too early to relax yet," Myôga insisted, hopping into view in front of Kagome. "Kitsune-yôjutsu is phony after all."

"Huh? Oh, you mean it's…."

"Yes…merely an illusion."

Manten was nonetheless crying in pain, but then the top stopped and returned to being normal size. Manten sat up, confused. "That kitsune brat," he muttered. He was unharmed…except for the last strand of hair that fell from his head.

An explosion of lightning accompanied Manten's anger, and streaks of lightning raged around them as the pair fled his wrath. "S-seems we threw gas on the fire!" Kagome gasped as Myôga once again vanished to safety.

"Where are they!?" Manten roared as he stormed out of the hill and the pair ducked behind a tree.

Kagome sat fearfully, more afraid than she had been in a long time. If he finds us, we're dead. Mai…Momo…Kain…where are you now? Inuyasha's fighting for his life with Hiten, and I never was able to learn how to fight for myself….

She slapped her cheeks. No…I have to fend for myself now. I can't rely them now. I can…. She glanced back at the desperately searching yôkai. There he was, with that arrow still sticking ridiculously in his face…. That's it! That arrow…I can use it again! "Hey, Shippô-chan…."

Manten heard a sound. "Over there, huh!?" He released a blast of thunder at the offending sound. The smoke cleared, and there was Kagome's corpse, still on the ground. "Heh. Wench…thought she could get away from me, huh?" He stomped over and grabbed her by the hair, hauling her up and staring at her. Suddenly she opened her eyes and glared at him.

"You bald, ugly bastard," she said, but it wasn't her voice. Manten was taken aback…and utterly flummoxed when her hair suddenly began to grapple his arms like clinging vines. "Is this hair what you wanted?"

Kagome suddenly came running in from the side, surprising Manten further. "T-there's two of you!?"

Kagome (the real one) laid hold of the arrow. "I'll take that back!" she declared, pulling it from his nose.

"You kitsune bastard…" Manten growled, realizing the trick.

"Heh," the fake Kagome replied. "I'll take revenge on my ôto's enemy!"

"Shippô-chan, keep him restrained like that!" Kagome insisted, taking up the arrow in both hands and raising it above her head. If I can pierce that gem in his forehead…I'll cut a large portion of his power off! And I think…he might be done in by the backlash!

"Damn you!" Manten roared, throwing his hands out, breaking Shippô's hair-grip (and returning him to his true form) and knocking Kagome to the ground. He reached down and grabbed Kagome by the throat before she could recover. "Hya haha! I'll strangle you to death!"

I-Inuyasha….

And on cue, the desperately-fighting hero saw the girl's plight. "Kagome!"

But the scene was merely a distraction in his case, and the point of Hiten's lightning-shaped spear pierced Inuyasha's shoulder.

"What the hell are you looking away for!?" Hiten scolding, slashing upward.

Inuyasha was thrown back as his shoulder was cut open, and the Tetsusaiga flew from his grasp. It stuck point-first into the ground a dozen feet away, and hissed as it reverted to its thin, dull-edged form. He glanced over at it, but before he could move, the point of Hiten's spear was at his face. "Ah, well…you're all talk. I had hoped to have a lot more fun. I don't even know if it's worth worrying about your sword now. Shall I just take time to tear off, say, your hands and feet?"

Too many damn distractions, Inuyasha growled to himself. I guess I better sort out Kagome first….

"Hey, Manten!" Hiten called to his brother, oblivious to Inuyasha's musings. "Don't go too far! We need that girl alive! She might be of more use than this coward of a hanyô and his dull sword!"

"Ah, right! Sorry, Hiten-an-chan! I just can't help it, you know…it's great, isn't it? The face of a dying girl…."

Shippô began to stir and rose in time to hear this declaration from Manten. "Stop it!" he cried, throwing himself futilely at the larger yôkai.

Manten batted him aside, laughing. "Mortifying, isn't it, you little kitsune runt!? Once I'm done with this girl, you're next…maybe I'll skin your pelt like I did your oyaji. Maybe I can make you into a hood or something…."

Shippô burned with rage. "You monster!" He leapt onto him and sunk his teeth into Manten's thick throat.

Naturally, Shippô's tiny yôkai fangs meant little to the massive thunder demon. He simply laughed again and grab Shippô's head with his other hand. "Stupid brat…I'll crush your skull in my fist…."

I won't let go…even if I die…!

"Jeez," Inuyasha sighed. "I never claimed to be a nice guy, but somehow you bastards disgust the hell out of me…."

He raised his blood-soaked fingers and flung the blood at Hiten. "Hijin Ketsusô!" The blood shaped into cutting blades en route to Hiten's face.

"Blades of blood!?" Hiten dodged back, leaving Inuyasha free.

Inuyasha leapt to his sword and grabbed it by the hilt.

Hiten laughed and charged in. "This is fun! Fight even harder to live, if you can!"

Inuyasha scooped the sword up which transformed instantly. "Take this!" He threw the blade towards his onrushing opponent.

It went right past Hiten, however. "Fool! What are you throwing at!?"

"Exactly what I was aiming at!" Inuyasha shot back.

"What?"

And, as Manten crowed with delight over Shippô's shrinking strength, he stopped suddenly…as Tetsusaiga ran him perfectly through.

Got him!

"M-Manten!"

Kagome stared as Tetsusaiga withdrew its form. I've got to get it back to Inuyasha…. She took hold of the sword with one hand and scooped the half-conscious Shippô up with her other.

"Ôto…" Shippô murmured.

Kagome glanced down at Manten's belt. That's right…Shippô-chan's ôto-san's pelt, too….

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. "Get out of there, you idiot!"

"Manten!" Hiten screamed with equal vigor.

Kagome was struggling with an armful of Shippô, pelt, and sword when Hiten arrived. A blast of his lightning threw her and her load away.

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha rushed to Kagome's side. She glanced up at him through a haze of pain. "Inuyasha…" she murmured. "I got it…." She feebly attempted to lift the sword up to him.

"You idiot," Inuyasha growled. "That doesn't mean anything if you get yourself killed…."

"Manten…" Hiten murmured. "How pitiful…."

"He's…crying…" Kagome observed, struggling to sit up.

His next action truly shocked her. He drove his hands into the body of his sibling and pulled out his bloody heart. "This…is so you can stay with I-chan forever…." And then he devoured it.

"W-what?" Kagome gasped.

"He's eating his spiritual power!"

"Myôga-jii-chan…."

"That means that darn Hiten will gain all of Manten's power for himself!" the flea continued. "Be careful, Inuyasha-sama…."

"Where have you been up to now?" Inuyasha accused him.

"Running away to safety, of course," Kagome muttered.

"E-eh…always grumbling over minor things…."

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and Shippô and leapt to safety as an explosion of lightning engulfed their perch. "Any ideas of how to deal with this now?" he demanded of the flea.

"W-well, maybe if you could use the Bakuryûha (Backlash Wave), the Tetsusaiga's ôgi, you could overwhelm his power, but otherwise…."

"Bakuryûha? What's that?"

"Just as I said, it's the Testusaiga's ôgi, or ultimate attack. It takes an opponent's yôki attack and wraps it in your own yôki along with a Kaze no Kizu and sends it back…."

"Great…so how do I use it?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Er…well…."

"You don't know, of course."

Inuyasha set his charges down behind some cover. "Stay here. I'll take care of this."

"But, Inuyasha…" Kagome began.

"Just shut up. I'll be okay somehow. You've done enough."

Inuyasha emerged from cover and raised his sword to face Hiten.

"So, you've finally come out," the demon growled. "Ready to die, hanyô?"

"Not today. Not before you! Kaze no Kizu!"

Hiten dodged the wind by flying into the air.

Kagome stared at the battle as Shippô finally began to stir. He stared at the bed he'd been carefully laid in. "Ôto…" he murmured.

"Inuyasha avenged your father," Kagome explained. She turned her attention back to the battle. If only I could do something….

"What's going on now?"

"Inuyasha's fighting Hiten. He…devoured his brother's heart, and his spiritual power. Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga might not be strong enough to beat him now. If only I could help…." She watched Hiten fly in the air on his wheels of flame, giving him the agility to dodge all of Inuyasha's attacks, even the Kaze no Kizu. "If he couldn't fly, Inuyasha could get him…."

She glanced down. Somehow she had managed to bring that one arrow back with her as well. "If only I had a bow…."

"Leave it to me!" Shippo insisted, and put a leaf to his head. He then transformed into….

"Oh!" Kagome stared at the curvy, curly item. "…A snail?"

"…I'm a bow…."

"Still breathing, hanyô!?" Hiten roared. "What's the matter!? Your movements are growing sloppier!"

"Shut up!" Dammit…he's powerful, but I could get him if only he wasn't flying around like that.

Kagome aimed the odd-shaped bow. She released. Please, hit it!

The arrow struck Hiten's right wheel, shattering it. His flight suddenly wobbled. "What!?" He glanced across at Kagome. "You!" He opened his mouth.

Manten's attack! "Kaze no Kizu!"

Inuyasha's attack wasn't in time…it threw Hiten back, but not before his lightning breath raced out….

But then a blue-green flame swept over the lightning, ending it, and continued flowing, filling the battlefield with an eerie, ghostly light.

"This is…?"

"Kitsune bi…my father's…" Shippô muttered.

"The last spirit of the elder kitsune is protecting them," Myôga agreed.

Hiten picked himself up, his attention on the foxfire only briefly before turning back to Inuyasha. "What's this? Even needing help from the dead? I'll finish you, then get all of them, despite your petty tricks!" He opened his mouth and began to charge the spear at the same time.

Myôga began to panic again. "Inuyasha-sama won't be able to block both attacks at once! It's too much power!"

Inuyasha was feeling the same conclusion, but suddenly the scent of the wind changed. What's this…? The foxfire…it's…showing me something. He glanced at the building sources of power around Hiten. Hiten's lightning…there's a wound in the wind of his yôki…. Is the foxfire telling me to cut that…?

Hiten's attacks fired. Inuyasha leapt into the attack, heeding the pair of voices instructing him. "Bakuryûha!"

The Tetsusaiga cleaved through the oncoming lightning, dispersing it into a whirlpool of energy. At nearly the same instant, the whirlpools were swept up by the wind of the Tetsusaiga, creating a massive stream of tornados that raced back towards Hiten, who could do nothing but take them all head-on.

When the wind faded, Hiten struggled to his feet…still alive and kicking, if moving glacially. "What!?" Inuyasha cried in shock. "He took my attack combined with his own!?"

"It's the Shapesphere," Myôga moaned. "It was able to absorb some of the damage…at least enough to save his life…."

"I…won't…die…at least…until I avenge…Manten!" Hiten swore.

"Oh, give it up already, you useless fool."

A burst of red light flew through Hiten's chest in accompaniment with this new voice. Hiten staggered and glanced behind him. "W-what…? You…!"

Hiten hit the ground and turned to dust. A red-cloaked man strode forward and scooped up the spear before it hit the ground, and as he held it before him, it transformed into a silvery ball, two inches in diameter. "How useless," he murmured. "I thought you could at least get rid of the annoying hanyô for me if you borrowed the Shapesphere, but you couldn't even manage that. Relying on the yôkai of this world was a foolish mistake on my part…."

"Bastard! Who are you!?" Inuyasha demanded, readying Tetsusaiga.

"Ah, ah, ah!" The man held up a restraining hand. "That won't do any good in your condition. I'm not here to fight today…you've already taken my best in the chin. I'll have to make other preparations, but for now, it's time to leave with my toy…."

"That's not yours!" Shippô insisted angrily. "The Shapesphere was entrusted to my father! Give it back!"

"Give it back? To a little yôkai? No, no, no…this will serve much more use in the hands of the Obsidian Star."

"The Obsidian Star?" Inuyasha's eyes flashed. "You…you're the one behind everything!"

The man turned back to Inuyasha and laughed. "That's right…I've been toying with you a long time, Inuyasha-kun. Shall I send you after your beloved Kikyo…?"

"Kaze no Kizu!"

The wind attack swept over the man…but he was no longer there. "Take it easy, my dear half-demon. We'll have plenty of time to play later…I, Kalovus, will come for you soon enough…."

Inuyasha stared after him for several moments before finally sheathing the Tetsusaiga. "Kalovus, huh? Finally I have a name and a face to attach to my enemy…the one I will kill with my own hands…."

8-8-8

Shippô stepped back from the memorial they had built to his father. "Ôto…we were able to avenge you, even if we weren't able to get the Shapesphere back…."

Kagome held her card in her hand and glanced down at it. The Tenseiga….

"The Tenseiga is a powerful healing sword," Kamolai explained. "It doesn't cut minions of this world, although it will actually be a powerful weapon against those not of this world, meaning this existence—in other words, undead.

"But Tenseiga was created to be a sword that could save the lives of a hundred souls with a single swing. If you master it and its power, you'll hold that ability in your hand."

"Save lives?" Kagome asked. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"The Tenseiga even has power to bring back the dead by cutting down the harbingers of the netherworld. Of course, as always, restoring life to the dead has limitations. They have to be recently dead, their spirits still in this world, but it will strike down all the harbingers and even restore a cut chain of fate if the spirit is still present."

"I see…but only recently dead, right…?"

Kagome's mind returned to the present. But Shippô's father's spirit is gone…the last of its power was used to save us all with the foxfire….

I wish I could save a hundred lives…it's just like with Kain-sensei's village…I want to save everyone that I can…but…I guess even I have to learn to live with what I can't do….

But what I can do….

"So what are you going to do now, Shippô-chan?" Kagome asked the young kitsune.

"Eh? Ah, well…the Thunder Brothers are gone, but my family's legacy is now in the hands of villains…."

"In that case, you better come with us," Inuyasha grumped. "Can't leave a job half-done, can we?"

Shippô and Kagome both stared at the hanyô in surprise. "Inuyasha?" the girl asked, surprised and silently delighted.

"Well…" Shippô finally responded. "I suppose I might as well. Since it looks you'll be getting into a lot of trouble with that guy Kalovus or whatever. Kagome could use a real yôkai for protection, too so she doesn't have to just rely on Inuyasha…."

"Oi, don't push it, squirt…" Inuyasha growled threateningly.

"Okay, okay…" Kagome sighed, getting between them. "It'll be good to have you with us, Shippô-chan. And as for you, Inuyasha…." He blanched as she turned her full attention on him, inspecting him closely, but was surprised when she continued, "You're still hurt, aren't you?"

"H-huh? What? Bah, I'm no weak human. My robe of the firerat is as good as armor, you know, and it stopped most of the damage. This'll heal in a few days…."

"But we might never know when we'll get attacked again," Kagome sighed. "I know I haven't been a lot of help so far, but I'm going to start doing all I can…I have to. So for starters…." She raised her card and manifested her artifact.

Inuyasha staggered back in surprise as Kagome was suddenly holding a long but rather worn-looking blade. Myôga yelped in shock at the sight of the weapon. "T-that's…!"

"Restore, Tenseiga," Kagome commanded her blade, and the healing light washed over Inuyasha.

He started as his wounds closed, leaving him in sound and perfect health. He inspected himself and patted his former wounds. "Well, I'll be…."

Myôga hopped over to Kagome. "Kagome…where did you get that sword!?"

"Something the matter, Myôga-jiiji?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Don't you recognize it, Inuyasha-sama? That's…."

"Tenseiga," Kagome said evenly. "The fang of the Inu no Taishô. That's right…Kamolai told me that, too…."

"Yes, Tetsusaiga's twin," Myôga muttered. "That was a contract card wasn't it…yes…."

"Wait…so that's my oyaji's sword, too?" Inuyasha said. "How'd Kagome end up with it?"

"I see, I see," Myôga muttered. "Kagome made a contract with an Archmage, almost certainly through a magical spirit…probably her teacher, Kain Lockeheart-sensei, yes? Well, well…."

"In any case," Kagome said, causing her artifact to return, "we should get going…right Shippô-chan? Inuyasha?"

They stopped off again, with the usually taciturn Inuyasha suddenly demanding questions of Kagome. Myôga was in deep thought. Kagome…of the family of priestesses of Takamori…received, for an artifact, the Tenseiga, and then met the son of the Inu no Taishô and was the instrument of his release? Is this…coincidence…?

8-8-8

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Shippô

Ho-ha! For you readers, no time has (likely) passed through these last few chapters, but for me, writing this, I've been slogging through various things as I've attempted to continue the story. No need to relate them here, but it feels good to complete this chapter and get further along in the story.

This chapter, again, was largely an adaptation of an existing manga story, namely Inuyasha's introduction of the kitsune kit, Shippô. The Thunder Brothers (Raijû Kyôdai, perhaps more literally Thunder Beast Brothers) are the antagonists who killed Shippô's father, but I messed around with little details this time rather than big ones. The actual items of conflict here (and in most of the series) are the fragments of the Shikkon no Tama, making it the source of both the Thunder Brothers' power and Shippô's theft attempts; so, to adjust, I introduced the Shapesphere (which will have its own significant purpose down the line), had it be Hiten's spear, and had Shippô be after the Tetsusaiga for the instrument of his revenge (which conveniently allowed me to introduce the Tetsusaiga's anti-demon barrier, which was supposed to be introduced with the actual Tetsusaiga but which my introduction lacked). Then I adjusted other little things, including plugging the brothers in as Kalovus' patsies. Most significantly, I super sped up Inuyasha's development of Tetsusaiga's powers, which initially took forever for him to learn. He didn't to even use the Kaze no Kizu (his iconic Wind Scar) until his third confrontation with Sesshomaru, and then had to break his weapon and rebuild it and use it ineffectively for several small arcs before he mastered it and learned the so-called 'ôgi' Bakuryûha. Then, of course, he started the ages-long process of absorbing new powers for the Tetsusaiga to defeat Naraku, then having Naraku adapt to those powers, leaving him searching for another new technique to one-up the villain…. In any case, for most of the series, particularly the anime, he had these two attacks, so I allowed Inuyasha to master the signature attack during the off-screen time between chapters, and then learn the ultimate attack (what will likely be its ultimate attack for the purposes of this story, since it's not his story) at the end of this chapter. I was planning to bring in a couple of other characters this chapter, but decided to leave them for the final confrontation with the villain of this 'arc' in the next Inuyasha/Kagome chapter. And, no, those two other characters are not the remaining two Inuyasha mainstays, Miroku and Sango, as, while I love those two characters, they are a bit too 'big' in backstory and purpose to introduce as side character's side characters—they'd have to be so watered down they'd be unrecognizable, hardly befitting their value, so it's better not to waste time or space introducing them at all (one of the reasons I'm not using Amelia from Slayers, either—too big to fit into what I've got, too small and without significant parts to be necessary).

On the other hand, Shippô was an easy choice to use for an additional character and mid-plot story of the three-chapter 'arc' for Kagome and Inuyasha's journey through Arcanus Myrror, as, despite being one of the big five, he's a useless but endearing (and, yes, often rather annoying) mascot who can sit and add commentary but has little to worry about, especially since his father is avenged. His connection to the Shapesphere makes him more-or-less significant, but not overly so.

_So, here is Shippô, the young kitsune. He's rather simple and is the party's universal little brother and Inuyasha's primary cute but useless mascot (it has, actually, several, of varying degrees). He has some illusory magic—in Japanese mythology, foxes are notorious tricksters, and so, like in most of their tales, fox demons become masters of deceptive arts—but no actual combat power. Despite this, and despite his being young and childish, he feels (as a true demon) quite superior to Inuyasha and antagonizes him frequently. Shippô, being so childish, never forgives or forgets Inuyasha's abuse from early on, even if he deserved it, and so he takes every opportunity to berate him and even to use his magic against him if he has a good enough excuse (the girlfriend du jour, a parasitic pest controlling him, or a fox-magic examination). Nevertheless, he is a loyal and dedicated little companion, and he will, among other things, help keep Kagome sane through all this madness. He will obviously be popular with the class when all are reunited….

So, with Kagome's second part complete, we now return to Nodoka for part 2 of 3 in the Fairy Tail, er, Tale….


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Six: Fairy! The Power of Nakama!

Natsu sighed again, eliciting anger from Grey. "How long are you going to complain?" the black-haired man scolded. "You're really starting to piss me off!"

"Shut up," Natsu responded. "I can't help not liking what I don't like. Why do we have to keep working for that Kai guy, anyway? This stinks."

"That's enough," Erza warned them, quickly breaking up the fight. "I understand your sentiments, Natsu, but this is a proper job, and we really have no reason to refuse when he specifically requested our help again. Personally, I'm rather liking these 'dungeon-delving' jobs. They're different."

"I agree," said Grey. "They're a welcome change from the bounty-hunting jobs we're usually stuck with."

"Maybe," Lucy sighed. "Natsu, what's your problem with Kai, anyway? He seems nice enough, after all…." Especially compared to you weirdoes….

"I don't like his smell," Natsu growled. "There's something fishy about it. And why is he so obsessed with these harmless artifacts, anyway? Everything about him just bothers me…."

"Whatever. What do you think, Nodoka-chan?" She turned to look at the girl. "Er, Nodoka-chan?"

"Eh?" Nodoka looked up guiltily, finally breaking from her book-induced reverie. It was not her usual book—her artifact—but an item she had picked up right before coming on this job. "U-um, s-sorry…."

"No, it's okay," Lucy assured her. "I can get like that with books, too, so I understand. That book…it's about the Duali Tower, right?"

"Y-yes…the mage Albere Duali was a renowned artificer, who created all sorts of artifacts…after his disappearance one hundred years ago, his tower has been left untouched…but there is a comprehensive record of some of his artifacts…."

"Oh? Anything interesting?" Erza asked.

"Y-yes…a few…." The 'Demon's Lullaby'…the object which can read anyone's name…and…the 'Reading Ear'…which can recite characters aloud…if I use those with my Diarium Ejus….

"Bah, whatever," Natsu sighed. "Anyway, we're looking for something called…the 'Always on Top'?"

"It's the 'Always One'," Happy corrected him. "It's a powerstone, a lacrima that always contains one unit of mana."

"It 'always' contains one unit of mana?" Grey demanded. "How does that work?"

"B-basically, it produces one unit of mana every second," Nodoka explained. "If it isn't used, it just disperses into the atmosphere…if someone is holding it, they can use that mana for a small spell…."

"Ah…okay."

Happy suddenly sprouted his wings and went flying up and a little ahead. Erza glanced up after him. "What is it, Happy? Are we there?"

"Aye!" Happy turned back to the group and then pointed. "I can see it! Duali Tower!"

The light forest they were trekking through broke, most predictably and dramatically, on a jagged cliff overlooking the tower. The five humans ran up to look out over the building. It was a tall tower constructed entirely of white stone, rising into the air in a twisted fashion, like a corkscrew. as they inspected it, they could see that three separate pieces of the building were all curved around each other, each lined on its outside wall with a staircase rising to the top.

"What a weird tower," Natsu muttered. "I guess it's no surprise that Kai would be interested in it…."

"Well, let's get going," Erza said briskly, and the group started their journey.

As they took the path down below, Kai—Koltas Corai—appeared on the overlook and watched them. "Yes, my little fairies, go on….have some fun and retrieve my little prize. And then, I'm sorry to say, I'll have to have you all die…."

8-8-8

They walked around the base of the tower. There were doors in the wall, in between each of the curving staircases. The tower was over one hundred feet tall, but only ten feet in diameter most of the way up.

"What a weird tower," Natsu repeated. "It doesn't look like there's enough room to have much inside. Where do those staircases go?"

"Er…m-most of the tower is actually located…in a pocket dimension," Nodoka explained. "The tower…has a magical spirit that controls access…only it can open the way into the tower…."

"Well, that would explain why these doors have no visible hinges, handles, or locks," Grey commented. "How do we get in, then?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Natsu demanded, massing his elbow as he began to wind up for the punch. Flame appeared out his hand and he crowed, "We bust our way in!"

"Not yet," Erza denied him, knocking him over the head and onto the ground. "Let's not destroy anything more than we have to." She glanced up towards the top of the tower. "Let's climb up there first and see if we can gather any clues."

They picked a staircase and started up. A hundred feet was an appreciable but not overly daunting distance for stairs, and Lucy noted audibly that she was surprised they were not enchanted to go much farther up than they appeared to.

The top, however, had more than enough enchantment to make up for the lack on the stairs themselves. A shimmering sheet of off-white hung in the air before them, an obviously magical but almost indescribable phenomenon. There was nothing in their experience that they could truly liken it to.

"What is this thing?" Natsu demanded, reaching out with a finger ready to poke.

"Don't touch it!" Lucy cried in fright, grabbing his hand. "Who knows what'll happen if you touch it carelessly?"

"Yeah, I don't know," Natsu grumped. "That's why I'm going to touch it. How else am I going to find out?"

"Lucy's right," Grey said. "We should find out a little more before we do something drastic."

Erza cut them off before they could start another tête-à-tête. "Happy, fly around this tower and see what you can see on the other sides. I have a suspicion…."

"Aye!" The cat spread his wings and began to circle the narrow top. His return mere seconds later showed a face marked with surprise. "I see the same thing, no matter where I look from—it's this same weird movie screen!"

"So, what is it then?" Lucy began.

"W-wait!" Nodoka burst out. "The screen—something's happening!"

Characters appeared on the sheet. At first they appeared as spinning, ever-changing shapes with no apparent sense, but soon began to fall into place, like slot machine numbers, into a message in multiple languages. The message read, in all of them:

ANALYZING…

VISITORS ANALYZED.

VISITORS UNIDENTIFIED.

FIVE HUMANS, MAGES, ANALYZED, AGES 15-UNKNOWN.

ONE FELINE MAGICAL BEAST, NON-MYRRAN.

NO DATABASE REGARDING VISITORS.

VISITORS MUST STATE PURPOSE OF VISIT.

The 'visitors' stared at the screen for several long seconds, but it produced no further message. "Feline magical beast…does that mean me?" Happy asked. "And what does non-Myrran mean?"

"Ages fifteen…to unknown?" Nodoka murmured.

"Purpose of visit?" Natsu muttered, then, raising his voice, he continued, "Why, we've come here to get an arti—"

Lucy suddenly shoved her hands in his face to silence him and said, "Haha, actually, we're here to see the great mage Duali. Can we come in?"

The screen hummed, the message disappeared, and was promptly replaced:

MASTER DUALI IS NOT WITHIN THE TOWER.

UNIDENTIFIED VISITORS ARE NOT PERMITTED INSIDE THE TOWER UNACCOMPANIED.

VISITORS ARE ASKED TO RETURN AT A LATER TIME WHEN THE MASTER IS PRESENT.

"Well then," Erza interjected, "do you have any idea when the master will be in?"

UNKNOWN. THE MASTER DID NOT LEAVE AN ITINERARY FOR HIS RETURN.

VISITORS ARE ADVISED TO BE PATIENT.

"Um…" Lucy began. "How long as your master been out? Aren't you getting tired of waiting?"

UNKNOWN.

THIS UNIT IS NOT PROGRAMMED TO EXPERIENCE FATIGUE ASSOCIATED WITH WAITING.

HOWEVER, THE MASTER'S ABSENCE HAS BEEN MARKEDLY PROLONGED.

ALSO, THE MASTER'S DISAPPEARANCE FROM THE TOWER WAS UNANNOUNCED AND UNUSUAL.

"No one has heard from Duali in over a hundred years," Grey pointed out. "Isn't that how long you've been waiting for his return? Doesn't that seem strange to you?"

THE LENGTH OF ABSENCE AFTER UNANNOUNCED VACATING OF THE TOWER IS EXTREME.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME HARM OR DISASTER HAS BEFALLEN THE MASTER.

"You seem to be acting awfully calm considering your master might have had something happen to him," Lucy remarked. "Shouldn't you be worried or something, or…have done something to try and find him?"

THIS UNIT IS DESIGNED TO WORK ON LOGIC AND PROGRAMMING, NOT EMOTIONS.

THEREFORE, IT DOES NOT COMPREHEND WORRY.

IT IS PROGRAMMED TO ACT IN THE MASTER'S BEST INTEREST.

HOWEVER, IT IS NOT CURRENTLY EQUIPPED WITH THE CAPABILITIES TO PURSUE AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MASTER'S FATE OR PROCURE HIS SAFETY.

"Then why don't you let us in?" Erza offered. "Maybe we can investigate and find out if something happened to your master…."

…

VISITORS EXTEND OFFER TO ASSIST IN RECOVERY OF THE MASTER.

QUALIFICATIONS MUST BE ASCERTAINED.

COMMENCING SCAN.

A soft light was suddenly emitted from the screen, and it waved over the 'visitors', one at a time. They blanched, but the light seemed to do nothing.

SCAN COMPLETE.

INDIVIDUAL: ONE 'NATSU DRAGNEEL'. AGE UNKNOWN. FIRE DRAGON SLAYER. MAGICAL CAPACITY: VAST.

INDIVIDUAL: ONE 'LUCY HEARTFILLIA'. AGE 17. CELESTIAL WIZARD, IN POSSESSION OF MULTIPLE ZODIAC SPIRIT KEYS. MAGICAL CAPACITY: STRONG.

INDIVIDUAL: ONE 'GREY FULLBUSTER'. AGE 18. MAGE OF ICE-MAKE MAGIC. MAGICAL CAPACITY: IMMENSE.

INDIVIDUAL: ONE 'ERZA SCARLET'. AGE 19. MULTIPLE MAGICAL POWERS. MOST PROMINENT POWER: REQUIP, WITH MULTIPLE REGISTERED ARTIFACTS. MAGICAL CAPACITY: IMMENSE.

INDIVIDUAL: ONE 'HAPPY'. AGE 6. FELINE MAGICAL BEAST OF NON-MYRRAN ORIGIN. POSSESSES RACIAL ABILITY TO MANIFEST WINGS FOR FLIGHT. MAGICAL CAPACITY: MINOR.

INDIVIDUAL: ONE 'NODOKA MIYAZAKI'. AGE 15. MAGICAL CAPACITY: ERROR. ARCHMAGE DISCIPLE. ARCHMAGE MASTER: ONE 'KAIN LOCKEHEART'. LEVEL OF CONTRACT: S

IN POSSESSION OF ARTIFACT: DIARIUM EJUS.

COMPILING DATA.

CALCULATING DATA.

CALCULATING…

CALCULATING…

…

…

EXAMINATION COMPLETE.

FOUR INDIVIDUALS WITH QUALIFIED MAGICAL CAPABILITIES FOUND

ONE INDIVIDUAL WITH QUALIFIED MAGICAL PEDIGREE FOUND.

THE LOWER LEVELS ARE OPENED TO YOU.

"Huh?" Natsu said. "Well, I don't understand anything you're saying, but basically, we can go in, right?"

THIS UNIT CAN ONLY PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE LOWER LEVELS.

THE BUTLER MUST BE AWOKEN TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE TOWER PROPER.

THE BUTLER CAN BE AWOKEN FROM THE LOWER LEVELS.

VISITORS ARE ADVISED TO SEEK OUT THE BUTLER.

"What? We have to climb all the way back down?" Lucy whined.

"At least we're being allowed in," Erza said, turning back around. "Let's go."

Natsu remained behind, staring at the screen. "So, 'One Qualified Magical Pedigree'? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't think about it too hard, Natsu," Happy teased him. "Your head will explode!"

"C'mon already!" Gray added.

"I'm coming!" With one last glance behind him at the newly blank screen, Natsu followed them down.

The doors at the base opened for them…revealing only blackness beyond. "What's this about?" Natsu demanded.

"It's because the inside of the tower is an extradimensional space," Nodoka explained, examining her guidebook. "This level is…a parlor where Duali-san would entertain his guests…."

"Well, let's stop gawking and go in," Erza declared, doing so. The rest followed after with various levels of protests.

They emerged into a large lounge room, over thirty feet across, with fine-quality couches and chairs spread around the parlor, with two staircases on opposite walls running up to doors. Magical lighting filled the chamber…with no discernable source.

"And the temperature is perfectly warm," Erza noted aloud.

"But that doesn't mean you can strip!" Lucy scolded Grey, who was already getting started.

"So, we're supposed to find the butler," Natsu said. "How do we do that?"

"Doesn't seem to be anything here," Erza said. "Let's head up the stairs and see what's next."

"But we're inside a tower. Won't that just go back outside?" Grey pointed out.

"This tower's extradimensional whatever doesn't seem to obey normal laws of physics," Lucy sighed. "This is gonna give me a headache…."

Once again the door opened at their approach. Within was a plain room, twenty feet square, lit and warmed just as the previous one but largely unfurnished. Instead, in the four corners were bells hanging from up on the wall with strings hanging down within easy reach. Under each bell was a plaque, with a different message inscribed on each one.

"What's with these?" Natsu demanded, reaching for one of the strings.

"Don't touch it yet!" Erza scolded, hitting him.

"Let's see…'In the light from on high', 'On the mass of the surface'…" Lucy read.

"'From the depths below', and 'Across the wide sky'," Nodoka finished.

"A riddle?" Grey asked.

"It would seem like it," Lucy agreed. "We have to ring the bells in a certain order in order to wake up the 'butler'?"

"I-it seems like it," Nodoka agreed. "Duali-san…was a noted student of magic, and his magical butler, Jarvis, was a spirit of magic. Duali-san…believed that magic was a world-filling force…that mana came into this world from everywhere…."

"So, to translate," Erza said, "We have the sun, the sky, the surface, and under the earth, right?"

"Yeah…that would seem to sum it up," Lucy agreed. "But, in order, do we start from the top, or from the bottom?"

"W-well…."

Suddenly a ring ran out from one corner. Lucy and Nodoka stared over at Erza, who was ringing the bell underneath the plaque 'In the light from on high'. Immediately after Natsu rang the bell under 'Across the wide sky', Grey rang 'On the mass of the surface', and Happy finished with 'From the depths below'."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Lucy screeched at them.

"Solving the riddle," Erza replied simply.

"But we haven't solved it yet!" Lucy moaned.

However, lights began to shine out from the bells, then race across the high ceiling of the room and began to coalesce in the middle. Erza pointed this out. "It seems to have worked."

"But…but…" Lucy whined.

"We were never told it was a one-shot deal, right?" Erza continued, patting the younger woman's shoulder. "So it just made sense to try the most logical sequence."

"How did you figure that was most logical, anyway…?"

The lights had seemingly finished their little dance, and an explosion of light now revealed a humanoid figure, which floated down and presented himself to them. In his suit he did, indeed, seem to be a butler, and looked perfectly human, with short and finely-combed gray hair and a sharp, hawkish face around bright blue-green eyes. He blinked and surveyed them. "Hmm? Well, well…do we have guests? Ah, but the master is away…and hasn't been in for a long time…so, how did you get in, anyway? Jeeves must have been sleeping on the job or something…."

Natsu walked around the butler, 'Jarvis' according to Nodoka, sniffing him. "This guy's strange…he doesn't smell like anything."

Jarvis looked down his nose at the young man. "A dragon slayer? Well, certainly a rare magical gift, but what, exactly, do you want to do with our master? There's no reason you should be here…."

"E-excuse me…Jarvis-san…" Nodoka began. "U-um…we were allowed in by the…the door, above…to help find out what happened to your master…?"

Jarvis turned to the girl. His expression softened for a moment, then a look of surprise caught his face. "Oh…young miss…excuse me." He looked her up and down carefully. "The disciple of an Archmage, aren't you? If I may, might I see your contract card?"

Nodoka was taken aback for a moment but timidly proffered the requested item. Jarvis took it and pressed it between his hands. He smiled slightly. "Kamolai," he said flatly. "Of course." He then glanced at the back of it. "Kain Lockeheart, eh…? Ah, yes…so I see." He handed the card back. "Well, that explains it. Jeeves isn't growing senile after all. Well, I should welcome you all to the tower of Duali…."

"Um…excuse me…Jarvis, is it?" Lucy offered. "Do you mind my asking why you were put off about us being here until you saw Nodoka-chan's card…?"

Jarvis sniffed. "I think it would take far too long to explain. Suffice to say that the disciple of an Archmage is considered more trustworthy and interesting to the master than any other magic-user. Because of her—because of her card—you may enter the upper chambers. I can tell you all have magical talents, but without the power of an Archmage, the tower would be forever shut to you. To learn more than that, you would have to ask the master himself. Now, if you wouldn't mind…why are you really here?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Grey demanded.

"Oh, come now, don't play games with me. The master's absence has now reached over 100 years. Not much time for me, but far too long for normal humans. You may have promised your help to Jeeves, but you certainly didn't trek all the way out here for the simple purpose of finding out what happened to him—after this much of a length of time, he would be considered quite dead to laws and considerations of man. After all, you are only…what…fifteen? Seventeen? Eighteen? Nineteen?" He glanced from figure to figure as he stated their age, then looked very briefly at Natsu before addressing them all again. "The master disappeared long before any of you were born. His tower would now be considered fair game to any would-be looters, yes?" He smiled knowingly at them.

"Well, to be quite frank in return, yes, that's the case," Erza replied evenly. "In fact, a mage hired us to retrieve an artifact for him that was in your master's possession. Since he disappeared completely 100 years ago, your master is considered quite dead, and this tower is considered a ruin or a dungeon, open to looting…but obviously Duali's magics are all quite strong and in place. If we can assist you, might we be granted the artifact the 'Always One'?"

"Hired you to retrieve it?" Jarvis murmured. "Considering the situation, I can tell that request has some interesting merit. Well, I cannot promise it to you, but if something happened to the master and you are able to rescue him, he would probably be more than willing to grant you such a minor piece of magic in return. If you are able to discover his fate, and it turns out that he is dead, then you might have to be the executors of his will…and a reward could be granted to you for your service in that action, as well. Very well. Follow me…and I'll conduct you into the inner chambers."

The group followed after as Jarvis walked back into the lounge then out the door, and finally climbed up the stairs back to the top of the tower in front of the screen.

"Here we are," he said cheerfully. "Jeeves, load the door lock, please."

The screen flashed briefly, and then the image of a large door lock appeared on the screen. Jarvis gestured at it. "All right, young lady, touch the screen with your card. It will serve as the key to open the gate."

"Nodoka-chan's card? Why?" Lucy demanded.

"Why? Because no one can get into the master's chambers without his permission…or without a gift to present."

Grey grabbed the butler by his expensive collar. "Oi, oi," he growled. "Are you trying to steal Nodoka-chan's priceless artifact, you bastard?"

"Not at all," Jarvis replied easily. "You are completely misunderstanding the situation. That is exactly how the spell is designed, so that he wouldn't be bothered by hordes of senseless gawkers and such. So everyone who wished to visit him had to present an expensive magical gift…really limited the number of uninvited guests, I can assure you. However, contract artifacts are different. They can't be taken or given away, after all…a disciple of an Archmage who presents her card merely promises to allow the master to study it. That's the whole reason you're actually qualified…unless one of you really was willing to give up a valuable artifact."

Nodoka nervously stepped forward, her card in hand, while Grey reluctantly released Jarvis. She touched it against the screen, and suddenly it (the screen) disappeared. A shimmering oval portal appeared in the air before them. "Now, once we're inside, I'll get you easily to the upper levels to where the master was last working. Follow me." And so saying, he stepped easily into the portal.

They emerged into a massive library, thirty feet in diameter and perfectly round. Bookcases lined its walls, heading quite high up. In the center of the room was a narrow spiral staircase.

"Upstairs we go," Jarvis announced. "I should explain. The master was in his main laboratory at the top of the tower. He was working on a new project. The master enjoyed nothing more than magic and magical theory. He was a rather renowned artificer, but he never really intended to make anything significant—he was the kind of genius who simply did things because he wanted to see it done, who made things to see if they could be made. The 'Always One' you're after—a perfect example of his work. Nothing particularly grand—he simply wanted to make a powerstone that always had energy. An insignificant amount, but nevertheless, an always-charged powerstone.

"We, his spiritual servants he bound to his territory, were never particularly privy to all of his work, but the information we are provided with informs us that he was working in his lab and suddenly…disappeared. There was no invasion, no sign of foul play, and, since we are immortal spirits, no reason for us to really awaken and investigate the matter."

The room was disconcerting, because there was no apparent ceiling to it—walls and staircase seemed to stretch endlessly upward, and even the free-flying Happy was nervous to put the scope of this strange height to the test. Luckily, Jarvis' droning monologue helped to distract them from this most recent mind-numbing phenomenon as he led them up the stairs.

Then suddenly he stopped and extended a hand. A ceiling appeared above them, with the stairs disappearing into a circle ringed by eighteen strange runes. Jarvis reached up and touched one of the sigils, causing it to light up, then twisted his hand around, and the rim of runes rotated rapidly around the circle. He touched the rim suddenly once again, causing the spinning to cease suddenly, and then touched another rune. He repeated these actions several times, and then finally touched the center of the circle, causing a new rune to briefly flash into existence, and then the whole circle opened up in four perfect slices, revealing another shining white portal….

And then the group found themselves standing on flat ground in another chamber. They started and, upon finally recovering their bearings, they observed their new surroundings. The great room was as large as a stadium, at least, and lined on one side with tables filled with various beakers, containers, instruments, books, and devices the use of which they couldn't even fathom. On the other side were shelves of strange objects most small and seemingly innocuous—a red hood, a compass, a snow globe, a pen, a small knife, and hundreds more.

"This is the master's laboratory—and storage," Jarvis explained, almost smugly. "He spent most of his time in this chamber, to be honest, working on some project or other. He always conducted his 'primary' project—the one he was most occupied with—at the head of his laboratory, this direction. Follow me, and—" without looking, he pointed behind him at Natsu and Erza, freezing them in place with guilt as they were about to pick up some item that had caught their eye "—don't touch anything. Most of these items are harmless, but if you toy with the wrong thing, you could change into the opposite gender, or erase all memory of your existence from reality, or something worse." The two slunk back into line to follow as the troop headed after Jarvis and followed him up more stairs and onto a wide landing.

A rather more normal door opened into a more normal room…with two mirrors placed on opposite walls. A strange disc, like the eye of a camera, was placed in the center of the ceiling, and the mirrors were also lined with text.

"But I can't read it," Natsu noted. "It just…doesn't make sense…."

"This is what Duali was working on when he disappeared?" Lucy asked. "Those letters…must be enchanted so they can only be read under certain conditions…."

"Yeah, you have to be in the center of the room here," Grey said, standing in that exact spot. "Now they make sense."

The rest of the group joined him and looked over them. "Oh, and so we can," Erza said brightly. "Interesting…."

"Let's see…" Happy read. "Um, 'The infinite eyes will steal away that most vital light inside of man….'"

"T-that sounds rather portentous," Lucy murmured, and she jumped when the mirrors and the lens in the ceiling above them began to cast light over the group. "Um, Mr. Jarvis…you wouldn't happen to know what Duali was studying before this happened, do you?"

"Hmm? Well, let me think…he was interested in superstitions, in fact, in the beliefs that primitive cultures had about the soul…."

The studious Nodoka understood instantly—various primeval cultures held that mirrors, particularly when doubled, cameras (those who had contact with civilizations advanced enough to possess them) and even written words were all capable of stealing one's soul….

And then, as the group just began to realize their danger, they vanished in a flash of light.

Jarvis stared after them and then went to inspect one of the mirrors. In the faintest corner of one of the infinitely-reflecting mirrors, he could see the recently departed Fairies. "Oh…there they are…I guess this explains what happened to the master…."

8-8-8

Natsu's head was swimming in strange ways. The sensations around him were so alien than when he finally came to cognizance of his consciousness, he suddenly sat upright and opened his eyes wide.

He—and his companions all with him—were floating in some sort of black void. In the distance he could see hundreds of little windows, which, he realized after a moment, were mirrors. One by one his comrades awoke and joined him in surveying this strange thing.

"Where are we…inside the mirror?" Lucy demanded tremulously. "These…mirrors…."

"Something like…portals to the real world?" Nodoka offered.

"So, does that mean that Duali guy is here, too?" Natsu asked. "But where is he?"

"There…that light." Grey pointed. It was…more or less up, relative to them, as much as any direction could be determined in this space, as they floated in the void free of any force such as gravity that could affect them. There, hanging in the 'air', was a shining light that looked somewhat like an exceptionally large star.

"It's the only thing that seems to be here, apart from these mirrors," Erza noted. "Well, shall we investigate?"

They did so—after some experiments with their maneuverability, they found that a careful application of their magical energy could cause them to be lightly pulled, like a magnet, allowing them to drift with some measure of control through the space.

Lucy, after complaining about the clothing she and the other girls had chosen (all three were wearing skirts, of course), she demanded of Natsu, "This is even making me queasy. Isn't it affecting your motion sickness, Natsu?"

Natsu glanced at her, surprised. "Of course not. While it's weird, it's not a vehicle." Natsu's tone expressed reproving disbelief that Lucy would equate void-space with vehicles, a tone Lucy had received from him before.

The source of the light actually turned out to be another mirror—but this one was larger, twelve feet tall by six feet wide, bordered with exquisite gold edging, and, of course, shining forth a brilliant light. Nevertheless, within the reflective surface was a figure, a human, dressed in rich-looking but somewhat unkempt robes. He was seemingly in his prime still, late twenties or early thirties, with curly brown hair and swarthy skin. He seemed to be floating vertically, as they all were, and his head lolled to one side as his eyes were closed in (hopefully) sleep.

"Is that…the mage Duali?" Lucy demanded.

Suddenly some of that light started to flow out of the mirror. A beam, like a spotlight, started low and began to rise slowly, expanding and contracting to the proper widths as a form was left behind. It was humanoid in shape, but rigid, every facet of it a shining mirror. Once the head of the figure was revealed, the light faded away, and then the mirrors shattered into innumerable fragments, leaving behind them….

"D-Duali-san…?" Nodoka whispered. "Another one…?"

Indeed—although his clothing seemed to be in much better care, he was otherwise identical to the man inside the mirror. He surveyed the youths, a thin smile on his face. "Well, well…after all this time, I have visitors to this place…I welcome you, gladly!"

His smile was returned with skepticism. "You…who are you…?" Natsu demanded. "You don't smell…like a human..."

"Who am I? I am the mage Duali, of course." The man's expression hardly changed. "And now…come closer…so that I may be you, as well…."

Flame wrapped around Natsu's hands. "I don't think so, buddy. I don't know what you are, but that invitation doesn't sound friendly at all."

"What's with that man inside the mirror?" Lucy said, brandishing her keys. "That's the real mage Duali, isn't it?"

Grey put his fist into his palm. "What are you, really? A monster in this mirror that's stolen Duali's identity? You won't steal anything from us!"

"Whatever you are, we'll stop you here, monster," Erza finished, brandishing two swords. "We'll send you back to wherever you came from!"

The figure chuckled. "No, no. I'm afraid you're quite mistaken. This is my world now. Everything here is mine. Now that you've come here, you're mine, too…and you will never leave…."

"Fat chance of that!" Natsu roared, charging in, his fist flaming. Flame roared from his feet, propelling him in his travel. His lashed out with punches, but the still-smiling mirror clone drifted casually out of the way of each strike. The lack of success didn't seem to bother Natsu too much. He suddenly stopped and flipped in…mid-space, a lash of flame flying from his leg. "Fire Dragon's Claw!"

"Whoa!" Duali sailed out of the way of the attack, obviously discomfited and, seemingly, off-balance.

"Now I've got you!" Natsu crowed. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"

The mirror clone's face was alarmed as Natsu came in, but then his smile suddenly returned. "Just kidding." He caught Natsu's fist in his left hand. "Thank you for the meal," he murmured.

Natsu's flames vanished from his fist. "W-what!?" In nearly the same instant, flame flowed up Duali's arm. He opened his palm and the flame blasted Natsu back, throwing him away.

"He…stole Natsu's flame!?" Lucy gasped. "H-how!?"

"Don't let him touch you! Ice Make Lance!" Grey sent a stream of missiles flying at Duali.

Once again the mirror-man dodged the attacks, weaving through the ice. A second stream he blocked with flame from his left arm. Finally Grey made a hammer of ice appear above Duali and let the weapon fall on his head. Duali, however, reached up and caught the ice…and it seemed to flow into his hand. "I don't need to touch you," he scolded them. "Not in my realm." He put his left hand into his right palm. The magic of ice appeared in the air around him, just as it always did for Grey, and Grey was soon attacked by his own power.

"That's enough!" Lucy brandished a key. "Open, Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!"

With the usual accompanying magic—the turning of the key, the magical gate, and the faint doorbell sound of the spirit's arrival—Sagittarius appeared. The spirit's appearance was a quirky attempt at fulfilling the human expectation of a horse-man: the archer was literally a man in a brown horse suit. "Moshi moshi!" he declared, his usual salutation upon his arrival.

Upon Lucy's command, the archer began to let fly magical missiles at the mirror man. He dodged and deflected the attack, but in short order Lucy dismissed the spirit and released Taurus. "I'm not going to give you time to steal any more powers!" she declared.

"A miscalculation once again," the man declared as he warded Taurus' attacks. "Switching spirits in order to prevent me from stealing their essence? That's fine…you're just giving me more opportunity to steal your own." He suddenly raised a golden key that appeared in his hand. "Close, Gate of the Golden Bull." And Taurus vanished in mid-moo. He then pointed the key at Lucy. "Open, Gate of the Archer."

And soon Lucy was flailing around, trying to avoid the fire of her profusely-apologizing spirit, bound to obey the summoner. Duali's enjoyment of the scene was interrupted by Natsu, who began to attack him again, and Grey, who also had recovered from his earlier defeat and was rejoining the attack.

Two of the five were, as of yet, simply watching the battle—Nodoka timidly, and Erza carefully. Finally Erza came dashing in as Duali repulsed his two foes. Duali fought back desperately against Erza's onslaught, until Erza kicked him towards Natsu, who sent him flying with a flaming punch of his own.

"As a creature of this mirror universe, you have a fantastic ability to steal 'souls', and, therefore, the magical power of those you face. However, that power has two weaknesses: you can only drain power from direct observation, and only from one person at a time. Secondly, your ability to steal is limited, and the more powers you acquire, the longer it takes you to drain the next person's powers. If we keep up a concentrated attack against you, from all of us, you won't be able to steal anything more."

The three launched themselves at Duali. With this renewed attack, they pressed him until Erza landed a blow with her twin swords that shattered the mirror clone—literally, as he recoiled from the blow, he suddenly turned into a million shards of glass. The befuddled archer pursuing Lucy vanished, and there was a general amount of celebration—particularly when Grey, Natsu, and even Lucy found that their abilities had been returned to them.

It was short lived, however—the light once again sprang out and shaped a new body for the mirror monster, and once again Duali stood before them. "Quite well done," he congratulated them. "Unfortunately for you, this is my world, and this vessel is merely an extension of my power. Strike me down as often as you like…you will drain yourselves of mana long before you come close to destroying me."

Natsu slammed his fists together, created a rush of flame around him. "Fat chance, pal. You chose the wrong nakama to mess with. We're Fairy Tail, and we'll teach you to try stealing from us!"

The mêlée recommenced, and Nodoka drifted near the mirror as it went full force. What can I do? Can I help in some way? But…this thing….

…It says it's Duali-san….

"Manifest!" Nodoka's book appeared in her hand. As she called out the name of the mage, she found, to her surprise, that her artifact's pages were split…half of each page was sending a different message to her.

"This is…?" she murmured. Half the page showed Duali battling Fairy Tail, while the other half showed nothing but clouds and stars. There was a bit of confusing run-on to sort out, one passage of ideas running into another, but Nodoka was able to make sense of it…and by splitting her diary into two copies, they each became clear.

The first entry was obviously the mirror-clone of Duali—expressing frustration with the battle and the difficulty of draining the souls of so many people at once, but nonetheless satisfied that at least they could not hold him off forever. The second entry began as a strange, almost indecipherable scientific consideration of the state of magic. Even as Nodoka began to piece together the meaning of this incoherent rambling, the internal conversation stopped and became ellipses. And then Nodoka read:

Girl…I can sense your artifact. It is…receiving my thoughts?

"Eh? Er, y-yes…can you hear me?"

Yes…I know little of the world outside my prison, but I am connected to the manastream, as are you. The mirror…it is in combat, yes?

"Y-yes…."

They cannot win. This universe is the mirror. There is only one way to stop it…and that is to destroy the mirror itself.

"Really? B-but if that happens, then, what about you…?"

Do not worry about my condition. It is also the only way I will be free. Please….

"E-everyone!" Nodoka finally burst out. "You've got to attack the mirror itself! Destroy it!"

The mirror-clone suddenly whipped its head around in wild-eyed shock and stared at Nodoka, a snarl of rage creeping onto his features.

"This mirror-man's expression leaves no doubt about that," Erza affirmed, Requipping herself to her Heaven's Wheel armor. She began to send her swords flying towards the mirror.

"All right! Let's go!" Lucy used another key, and a wild-haired man in a suit and glasses answered her call for Leo of the Gate of the Lion. Magic energy glowing from the rings on his fingers, the spirit Leo, better known as Loki, charged in as well.

Grey prepared his ice magic. "Unfortunately for you, there's one thing that sets Fairy Tail apart from all other guilds—and that's destroying things." He sent a massive spear of ice out towards their target.

"Now I'm fired up!" Natsu declared, and, with a great intake, breathed fire at the mirror as well.

The combined attacks smashed into the mirror. It did not shatter as satisfyingly and easily as they might have hoped, but great cracks spread all across the glass. The mirror clone, who had sought desperately to reach the mirror before the attacks, screamed in pain…and exploded, right in the midst of the victorious Fairy Tail attacks. The explosion engulfed the four, throwing them away and leaving them looking in about as poor a condition as the mirror.

Nodoka looked around in fright at her fallen comrades, then over at the cracked mirror…which began to emit light, but this time rather erratically. A half-formed Duali, missing one arm and the opposite leg and looking half-real and half-crystalline, finally emerged from the light. It turned towards Nodoka, reaching out with its one good hand. "I have…sustained damage…but…you are still inside of my core…I will restore myself…with your soul…."

Nodoka turned to flee, but, moving with surprising speed, sliding easily through the void of the mirror world, the creature laid hold of the girl's neck. As she struggled to free herself, a blast of fire impacted against the beast causing it to release its grip. Happy, 'flying' through the space despite the apparent uselessness of it (perhaps using his wings gave him greater control over his movement or simply more confidence), grabbed Nodoka and made a hasty retreat.

Meanwhile, Natsu, battered-looking and breathing heavily, nevertheless smiled triumphantly as Duali turned its broken expression on him, rage still unmistakable within the mirror's eyes. "Still got some fight in you?" Natsu barked. "Well so do I! You're going to learn to harshest lesson ever—that you shouldn't mess with our friends!"

"Fool," spat back the creature. "Do you wish to lose your soul to me first!? I will…revive with your power…."

"You want my power!? Take it in spades! Flame in the left hand, flame in the right hand…combine the flames together: Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

To Nodoka's eyes, it looked almost like Kain's kanka, but using only fire. Also, instead of taking the energy in, Natsu just allowed the flames to form a larger fireball, which he more or less handed off to Duali before releasing. The resulting explosion from the spell was larger than the mirror clone's earlier explosion, and consumed the mirror as well. In the midst of the fire, the Duali body and the mirror both shattered into thousands of pieces….

When the flame died away, a single large body of light was left behind, which fleshed out its shape into a humanoid and finally faded into a solid object—Duali again…and, apparently, the real one.

The rest of the stricken crew was recovering…just in time to see the world beginning to crack and shatter, again, like glass, all around them. In some ways, it was a truly fascinating experience—seeing what seemed to already be a perfectly black void breaking apart and revealing an even blacker and more forbidding nothingness behind it.

"Well, well," Duali murmured, shaking himself awake. "This was unexpected. Well, we better not overstay our welcome here…."

He made a gesture, and the space around them shifted until they were near one of the remaining mirrors, which sucked them in like a whirlpool. An instant later they were all once again in Duali's laboratory, lying in a heap in front of the surprised Jarvis (save Duali, who was standing over them as well). The two mirrors and the cameral lens in the ceiling all grew black, and shattered.

"Well, well," Duali said again. "What a little adventure! I suppose I should thank you all now." The man sighed and sagged, and for a moment, although his actual features didn't change, he looked far closer to his deceptively great age.

"Ah, Master," Jarvis cut in, catching and supporting the man. "What a pleasant surprise to see you again after all this time. I trust that you are well?"

Duali smiled slightly as his rescuers picked themselves up off the ground. "Well enough," he said quietly. "More alive than I was and thought I ever would be again. Now, as for our guests…." He sagged with relief into a chair that Jarvis produced out of seemingly nowhere for him. "Again, I must thank you for your assistance. If not for your interference, I might have lain in that prison for a thousand years or longer."

"U-uh, yeah," Lucy agreed, laughing nervously. "But, um, your mirrors…."

Duali raised a hand. "No, do not concern yourself with that. It was simply my latest experiment, and, as is often the case, I can see in hindsight that the idea was a little reckless."

"Reckless, how, exactly?" Grey demanded. "Why did you make that thing in the first place? What were you trying to accomplish?"

Duali blinked and smiled again. "Why, for the same reason I make all my toys: simply to answer a question. I was simply pondering about superstitions, about how primitive peoples can believe that certain devices can steal the soul: mirrors, which reflect reality, cameras and similar devices, that capture images of reality for all time, and even writing, which manifests the words in your head, words that cannot be recovered. Could such things truly perform such functions? I wished to find out what magic could do. Mirrors were the main catalyst, as their reflection of reality can attract magic naturally, particularly when two mirrors are placed opposite each other, allowing them to reflect infinite realities for all eternity….

"And so I built a device that could capture the soul, using these devices, and, naturally, it worked too well. My soul was drawn into the mirror, where a being of magic was created from the device, from reality, and from the very ideas, stealing souls and creating itself, a reflection of those souls it had captured. I was the first victim, and, luckily, the last, as no one before you was able to come here and toy with it.

"And now you have destroyed the soul of the mirror itself, destroying the device and freeing me. I do not truly care much for my devices—it is the idea, the purpose, and the task that attracts my attention and my devotion. Now that I have proven the theory, I have no need to keep the device…particularly one such as the mirror, dangerous to the unprepared (including myself).

"Which brings me to my question." His gaze swept over the youthful Fairies. "Why have all of you come here? You have come to this forsaken place, negotiated your way in, penetrated even my inner sanctum, entered the mirror after me and freed me from its grasp. I cannot believe it was simple altruism that led you to do all of this. So, what, then, is it that you seek?"

The group exchanged a look. Finally Erza offered, "We are Fairy Tail, the mage guild of Fiore, and we were employed to find an artifact you created called the 'Always One'."

"I see," Duali smiled. "For such a small trinket you have done all this? You are dedicated to your contracts, Erza Scarlet, you and all your companions."

As the group started, Duali continued, "Yes, I know you—all of you, at least a little. The one benefit while I was captured inside the mirror was that I was connected into the flow of magic. I learned and preserved a great deal of knowledge over these hundred years, and I am roughly aware of most of the major events of the world that passed during my imprisonment. It was…it had its moments, I suppose. Most of all, I could see those connected to the cracks in magic that connect worlds in space-time. You—all of you—are those who have journeyed, or will journey, between these cracks." As the curiosity overcame their features and a few appeared ready to ask about this, he held up his hand. "I cannot say more than that right now. I truly cannot—my perception was imperfect then, and now, removed from that universe of knowledge, what little I remember is even more imperfect. I do not know if your journey is in the future, in the past, between worlds, through time, or anything else you can think of.

"Now, as to your little trinket…while it is of little true value to me, I must admit, part of me, of that faintly-retained memory, is wary of letting it go. The one who requested your services…he is something not of this world. Nevertheless, right now, even if I retain the 'Always One', it would likely be taken from me soon. I am not aware what that small item's significance may be, but it seems it has some future purpose…take it, and keep it safe.

"Even so, it is a minor reward for my rescue. Is there anything else I can grant you as repayment?"

"Oh!" Happy exclaimed. "Do you have a magic item that makes endless fish!?"

"I really doubt he has something like that…" Lucy sighed.

"Hmm…fish…well, there is the 'Melodious Melody', the flute…" Duali murmured.

"What, you mean you actually have something!?" Lucy was flabbergasted.

"Yes, if you play a C-minor chord, it makes fish fall from the sky," Duali recited from memory. "If you play an A-major chord, it summons demons from the earth. If you play…."

"I think we'll pass on that one," Erza stated flatly, much to Happy's disappointment.

Duali smiled, and his gaze finally fell on Nodoka, who was fidgeting nervously. "Well…you seem to have something in mind, Miyazaki Nodoka-chan?"

"Er…yes." Nodoka steeled her resolve. "If it isn't too much to ask…Duali-san…I was interested in the 'Demon's Lullaby'…or the 'Reading Ear'…."

"Yes…treasures that go well with the 'Diarium Ejus' you carry. Very well. You may have both of them. Still, it is a small price to pay for my freedom. Jarvis…go and fetch those for them."

"Of course, master," Jarvis said, nodding. "Please follow me, all of you…."

It was a short time later that Fairy Tail finally left the tower, having been properly compensated and even given a meal to see them on their way. Duali was obviously in need of rest, of course, and was unable to attend their meal.

Nonetheless, Fairy Tail left in good spirits. They had vanquished their terrible enemy, they had acquired the item they needed, and they had even gotten food into the bargain. Once out the door, however, they sobered quickly as hey pondered their next move.

"W-what do we do…about Kai-san?" Nodoka queried. "Duali-san said that…he's suspicious, and…we shouldn't give him the artifact…."

"Then we just won't give it to him," Natsu said flatly.

"But what do we do with it, then? That's what I think Nodoka-chan's asking," Grey pointed out.

"We'll have to keep it at the guild," Erza replied, matter-of-factly. "It's the best course of action. That would be the best way to keep it out of danger."

"I'm afraid that won't do."

The group looked around wildly. Finally Kai appeared on a rock above them.

"Come now," Kai continued as the four readied themselves. "I hired you to fetch one last item for me, and it seems you've done just as I asked. But now you aren't going to hand it over? Well…that makes it all easier in the end."

8-8-8

Author's Note: Curse You, Cliffhanger!

I've been going quite far with these chapters, sometimes, I think, too far, which led me to almost hastily close up this particular chapter…and the last one too, really. I thought about having a bit more interaction with Duali, but there was little time left for it, and I even wanted the battle with the mirror monster a little more intense, interesting, whatever, but ran out of room for that, too. Of course, this chapter's length stems mostly from the 'speech' of the 'doorman', 'Jeeves', which takes up quite a bit of space because of its unique, ah, format. Tone. Whatever.

In any case, no characters introduced in this chapter actually have any anime equivalents—they are all unique to this story. Unlike the Slayers/Inuyasha stories, there just weren't any I felt particularly impressed upon to use for Fairy Tail, partly because Nodoka is a stranger in their world and I wasn't sure how to introduce her into them while still retaining her important developments from her magic world travels.

In this case, the main development she undergoes is her acquiring of the artifacts 'Demon's Lullaby' and 'Reading Ear' (the literal translations of Latin names given to these artifacts—Ken Akamatsu-sensei was quite obsessed with using Latin as the main magical language in the original work). These two items work very well with Nodoka's powerful book…and we'll find out why in the next Fairy Tail chapter, when we'll finish up Nodoka's main solo (with new compatriots) adventures, tie in a few other characters who have been alluded to or prepared, and briefly show the fate of perhaps one more lost lamb….

But since I wasn't sure where else to end this chapter or how else to transition into Nodoka's Part 3—Fairy Tail vs. Kai—I decided to just drop it in a cliffhanger; Kai is about to attack the group, but we can't start that combat yet! So we're at a cliffhanger. Especially since we're doing a round, and Fairy Tail's had their turn.

So, next in our round we go to Lina Inverse, to pick up her Cliffhanger. Will Lina be able to get her powers back? Will she and her new comrades be able to defeat the deadly Horius? Find out, next chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Seven: Gruesome! The Terrible Obsidian Star!

Lina tapped her finger on the café table. Her emotion, almost surprisingly, was anxious, but simply from a desire to get going and getting doing, rather than any degree of nervousness or fear. Xellos had assured her that his spell would keep her from being recognized by anyone except for their more powerful enemies, so she wouldn't have to worry about any run-of-the-mill bounty hunters or local law enforcement and could enjoy her meals and such in peace. However, she was now stuck here, waiting for Xellos to finish his 'errands' so that he could finish leading her to this 'magical doctor' who could undo the seal.

Is this guy really that reliable? I mean, magical seals are so expensive because they work. That someone could come up with a counteragent for it easily…. She sighed. Of course, my life is pretty much hanging on the truth of these rumors. I'm making some progress on unlocking it myself, but with the Obsidian Star dogging us every step of the way, I won't last long at all without my usual firepower….

"I'm sorry for the wait, Miss Lina. Here I am!"

He didn't arrive via teleportation or any other magical means, making his entirely mundane stealth all the more impressive and unnerving as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Lina just managed to hide her jump and scowled as she put her hands on the table and pushed herself to her feet. "About time," she growled. "Finally finished your 'errands'? Can we get going now?"

"Yes, yes, let me introduce…." Xellos stopped and looked around, a mildly puzzled look on his face. "Oh…where did she go? Ah, there she is…."

A figure approached, and upon the sight of her Lina started far more distinctly than she had at Xellos' appearance, and at the same time her heart sank. The figure, approaching erratically, was burdened by several large shopping bags that she carried in her arms, obscuring her face entirely and most of her torso (and explaining her rather chaotic wandering), but her outfit was so distinctive and recognizable to the girl that even the small portion of her that was visible left no doubt in Lina's mind as to who this new arrival was.

"Mister Xellos, I told you to walk more slowly!" the woman complained. "I can't see where I'm going like this…."

"Well, I did offer to help carry them…" the mysterious priest reminded her.

"Oh, tut. As gentlemanly as your offer was, I prefer to handle some things myself." She set the bags down, finally revealing herself to the camera. The woman was tall and almost perfectly built, muscular but slender, and far better endowed than Lina. Her hair was dark, blue-black, and long, and her skin was perfect—and what skin their was. This woman obviously believed in the philosophy of 'if you've got it, flaunt it', and she was dressed to kill—herself in cold weather, at least. She was dressed, obstensibly, as a mage, and had a great wide black cape with heavy shoulder pads, and the rest of her clothing combined was composed of less cloth than this, perhaps best defined as nothing more than a kind of bikini. Her hands and gloves were covered by gloves and boots, so they, at least, were protected from the elements….

This dress, that voice…all were quite familiar to Lina Inverse. And the woman's face lit up with recognition as she caught sight of the smaller girl, and her features twisted up in a mocking smile. "Why, Lina! How good to see you again! I didn't know that you were the one Mister Xellos was helping out here…."

"Naga the Serpent," Lina sighed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Oh?" Xellos looked between the two. "Well! I didn't know that you two were acquainted…."

"The hell you didn't," Lina replied scathingly. "C'mon, now. What's this about, Xellos?"

"Well, since you're without your powers, I just figured I could call on an old friend to help protect you," Xellos explained.

Lina grabbed Xellos by the collar and pulled him in close so she could hiss at him, "Don't try that 'harmless and innocent priest' routine on me, you fake. You're telling me a greater lord of the mazoku is incapable of providing protection? Don't take me for an idiot…."

"It's more a question of attention than protection," Xellos insisted placatingly. "I can't show too much of myself, you know, for various reasons…."

"Whatever," Lina sighed, releasing her captive and stalking away. Naga was placing her packages into a rather small coin purse. "Well, I can't look a gift horse in the mouth right now. Fine. Can we just get going already?"

8-8-8

Zelgadis found Gourry to be an amiable companion. Gourry certainly had a certain amount of empty-headedness, but he did not have any particularly odious habits arising from his stupidity. Lina could find Gourry exasperating because she liked to talk and flaunt her intelligence and knowledge, and the complete sieve of Gourry, unable to retain any of the wisdom she imparted, frustrated her to no end. Zelgadis, however, was quiet, and Gourry was amiably quiet as well, and, despite his mental deficiencies, showed great intelligence and instincts in all martial situations, from watches at night to tactics and even combat planning on those instances when battle could be foreseen.

This became apparent because, as Xellos and Zelgadis had originally hoped when they planned to split up this way, Dilgear was still leading the attacks against them and, to his mind, getting revenge against Zelgadis was more important than actually pursuing Lina Inverse, and so far Horius had not yet deigned to reign the wolfman in and change his mind. Perhaps he was not even keeping tabs on the matter that closely.

So they traveled, and even Gourry was led to wonder on Lina's condition in all of this….

8-8-8

Lina reluctantly explained her whole story to Naga while they journeyed, relating her trials against the Obsidian Star and how now Xellos was leading her to a magical doctor, 'Runan', who supposedly had a method of removing magic seals.

Naga, for her part, regaled Xellos with tales of her and Lina's earlier adventures. They were a pair of adventurous sorceresses who had met up early in their careers and shared a few adventures. They were not friends—Lina, for her part, seemed to strongly dislike Naga, for obvious reasons, while Naga, to Lina's disgust, claimed they were rivals—but they knew how to work together, and accomplished some impressive adventures together.

Naga, while a self-styled sorceress who favored ice magic, was actually trained as a priestess and was more skilled with traditional white magic. Lina was, though she would never admit it, curious about the origins of Naga's training, but the older girl would never confess to her past outside of being an adventurer. Her bearing and arrogance combined with a surprisingly soft heart, however, suggested not-quite-adjusted runaway nobility.

Lina would not consider her two-day journey into the mountains in search of the reclusive mage a pleasant one, but it was not unbearable. Naga enjoyed flaunting her assets and such around Lina, teasing her constantly, but it was a minor inconvenience and one that Lina was admittedly used to. And while Naga's laugh was something that grated constantly on her nerves, at the very least she was not a crazed megalomaniac delusional princess worshipping a fake demon who was constantly trying to curse Lina. And Lina wasn't sure why that thought suddenly came into her head….

And so they finally came to their first sign of life not far from the supposed location of the doctor. They were ascending a mountain path, the rock on their right and a cliff face on their left, and came upon a larger flat area with a tree overlooking the cliff. A small child in an orange dress with pink hair in pigtails was climbing this tree and now, her legs and one arm wrapped around it as she lay on it, braving a branch that was dangling dangerously over said cliff. Her other hand was reaching for a bright flower budding on the end of the branch….

"Ah, this scenario seems remarkably, dangerously cliché, doesn't it?" Xellos asked cheerfully.

On cue, the branch suddenly broke, and the girl began to topple off the cliff….

"Levita—." Lina cut her spell off in despair as she remembered her seal, but Naga reacted just as quickly, casting the spell herself and swooping in to catch the little girl.

"Oh! Thank you!" the girl said cheerfully as Naga alighted back upon the ground and set her down.

"You're welcome, little girl," Naga replied. "But, wasn't that a bit dangerous? You shouldn't take such risks, you know…."

"But I had to get the Alcetta flower!" the girl declared, pointing at the flower she had just managed to grab and still held in her other hand. She spoke in such a manner that her exclamation points were clearly audible, each intonation and syllable almost exaggeratingly and dramatically excited and upbeat.

Lina sighed and scratched her head as she joined the pair with Xellos flanking her. "Of course you did. Well, at least you're safe this time. In any case, you must live around here, right? Do you know the magic doctor, Runan?"

"Runan?" The girl blinked in surprise. "Oh! Of course I do! Why do you want to see Runan, the magic doctor!?"

"This girl has happened to lose her magical powers," Naga said with relish, pointing at Lina. "Well, to be exact, she's been hit by a Magic Seal Cube. We've heard that Runan can undo this enchantment."

"Oh! Of course! Runan can definitely help you, and he lives right near here! Follow me!"

She began to stomp away, radiating pride and authority, and led the group a short distance to another, even wider plateau some ways more up the mountain. There, more centralized and with many different types of trees and little gardens set up around it, was a quaint little wooden cottage with a thatched roof. It was two stories tall, and to the surprise of the visitors, most of the bottom floor seemed to be a simple magic laboratory, with many vials and books on shelves that covered all four walls and a cauldron in the room's center. To the further surprise of her guests, the little girl immediately put on an apron and began to busy herself about the process of preparing the lab, bringing out a book and pulling down various jars and mixing them all up in the cauldron (after lighting a fire underneath).

"Um…what are you doing?" Lina finally asked, nervous about the answer.

"I'm preparing your medicine!" the girl declared. "My name's Kira. Runan the magic doctor was my grandfather! But he passed away a few months ago, so now it's my job to take care of it! I studied with him a long time, so I know my stuff!"

"Er…really. And…how old are you, exactly?"

"I'm six! But in a month, I'll be seven!" She turned her full attention back to the cauldron, pouring a few more vials into the mix and wrestling a pole heavier than she was into it. "Gotta stir it well now!"

She then pulled the staff out of the potion, and the bottom of it melted off and dripped back in. Lina's heart was sinking further with every second of this.

Naga, for her part, was trying to hold in her laughter. "Well…I'm sorry, Lina. I guess there's not much of a chance at a cure here…."

Xellos was inspecting the mess while Kira let it simmer, wandering off to prepare tea for her guests. "Actually, Miss Lina, I believe that this potion is in order. It should work."

"Are you serious?" Lina demanded incredulously, but Xellos, while a trickster and facetious, had his serious moments, and longtime harassment had given Lina the trick of spotting them. She sighed. "Well, I hope so. She wandered over to an anteroom and sat down on a soft chair with a harrumph, waiting for the dubious concoction to finish.

Naga wandered over to inspect the thing herself. She bent low over the pot, and the fumes caught her nostrils and caused her to cough and sputter. "O-oh…" she moaned. She reached out with a hand as she staggered…and caught hold of a shelf, but in the process knocked over a bottle. The cap popped out, and the contents poured down into the mixture. Naga, spotting this, picked up the bottle and inspected it. The bottle had no label and no distinctive marks…save for the white skull-and-crossbones that adorned the face of the purple glass. "Oops…" the sorceress muttered.

The mix was bubbling as usual for a few seconds, then the purple gloop suddenly turned red and almost instantly afterward exploded.

Quite literally, in this case. The cauldron and its mixture turned the entire house into a disaster zone, and moments later its four occupants were lying amidst the rubble.

"W-what was that!?" Lina demanded, picking herself out of the chaos, having not spotted Naga's gaff. "What happened!? Did something go wrong?"

"No!" Kira insisted as Xellos retrieved her safely from the mess. She spotted the offending bottle—still in the hand of Naga, which was connected to the arm of Naga, which was still connected to the body of Naga, but which was still buried under rubble. "Oh no!" Kira cried, snatching it up. "Of course it would explode if you poured this in it."

Lina's temper flared at the sight and realization. The anger throbbed inside of her as Naga slowly, blearily, finally emerged. "Na-GA!" Lina howled in rage.

"Eh!? I-it was an accident, honest! I didn't mean to…."

"That…was…my…one…shot…at…a…cure!" Lina seethed, shaking the girl.

Suddenly an echoing, disembodied laugh broke through the air. "Having trouble, Lina Inverse?" A being materialized—a creature with muscular blue skin, clawed hands, a tight face with curved, sharp teeth on the outside of its mouth, and no lower half. "I see you've sought some way of unsealing your magic, but it seems your attempt has blown up in your face. Now, will you return quietly to Master Horius, or will I get to enjoy myself first…?"

"What's that?" Naga demanded, readying herself. "A mazoku?"

"No…not quite," Lina sighed. "That would be one of the Obsidian Star's monsters, an 'Obsidian Knight' or something. What wonderful timing…."

8-8-8

Gourry and Zelgadis surveyed the force arrayed against them. "Still haven't run out of minions, Dilgear?" Zelgadis demanded.

"Ha! My forces granted to me by Master Horius are as great as the sands of the sea! Fight all you want, even you will eventually be overwhelmed." He laughed his barking laugh. "And don't expect any reinforcements. I may be tracking you, but Master Horius has already sent a powerful minion after Lina Inverse. She will be dealt with long before she finds a way to unseal her magic…."

"Ha," Gourry laughed. "You don't know Lina…or how stubborn she can be. There's no way you'll find a way to stop her."

"Regardless, we won't be relying on her help," Zelgadis added, drawing his sword. "We'll take care of you ourselves, long before she rejoins us."

"Is that so!? Get 'em, boys!"

And the forces moved to clash….

8-8-8

"Well then!" Naga declared. "Since Lina Inverse is still impotent, it is up to I, the premiere sorceress Naga the Serpent, to defeat this embodiment of evil! En garde, you beast! Freeze Arrow!"

Naga, following her dramatic speech, unleashed her spell at the half-figure floating in the air above it. It sprouted wings from its back and used them to block the ice missiles. "So…Lina Inverse has a new friend to back her up…she'll make an entertaining plaything." It flourished its wings and a score of small, round, bat-winged creatures with large mouths, two small taloned legs and no other visible features appeared in the air around it. "I am Skurge, and these are the Sweeps. Please, entertain us before you die…."

The creatures opened their mouths and began to spit fireballs at both Naga and Lina. The sorceresses escaped in separate directions, fleeing the attacks. Both attempted, with varying degrees of success, to retaliate against the creatures.

Most of the flock soon abandoned Lina…and Skurge went after her himself. "Come, now, Lina Inverse…Master Horius would like to bring you back alive, but in extreme circumstances, your corpse would do. The more I play with you, the bigger chance there is of…an accident…."

"Elmekia Lance!" Lina's most reliable anti-demon incantation, however, was as ineffective as the rest of her spells.

"Oh no! They're both in big trouble!" Kira declared, watching from behind a barrier of rubble next to Xellos. "Shouldn't you help them out!?"

"Hrmm…well…." Xellos surveyed the scene and sighed. Naga was holding her own against the Sweeps, but was unable to lend any assistance to Lina, who, of course, still being sealed, couldn't conjure any magic with enough power to even wound the monster attacking her, hurling lances of dark of light. "I really shouldn't be making a big spectacle of myself…now, more than ever. I had hoped Miss Naga would be enough, but I didn't expect such a powerful foe finding us so quickly with those two serving as a distraction…." He shook his head. "Well, I guess it can't be helped. I don't have a choice." And he vanished.

Lina stumbled, but to her surprise Naga leaped above her, blocking Skurge's black lance with a bolt of white energy. She posed and pointed at the monster. "That's enough, you fiend! I am your opponent now!"

"Naga, you idiot!" Lina scolded her. "You dealt with the bats, good, but this guy's out of your league! Just get out of her! He's only after me!"

"A sorceress who fights for love and justice can't abandon her rival when she's in trouble," Naga said with her usual good-natured arrogance. "Don't worry, I'll vanquish this monster and…."

Skurge pointed with a closed 'hand' and opened it, and an explosion of dark energy erupted just in front of the pair, throwing them both backwards. As they struggled to pick themselves up, Skurge skipped through space to close with them again. "Well done, pest," he congratulated the sorceress. "But now you've just given me another toy to play with. Give me some good screams before you die…."

He released another black lance…and it vanished against a barrier as Xellos suddenly appeared, hovering over the pair.

"What!?" Skurge gasped as power from the priest began to wash out. "W-what are you!? N-no…you…you can't be…what are you doing here!?"

Wordlessly, Xellos put his hands to his torso, his right just above his left, forming a line of the four similar pendants he wore around his neck, waist, and each wrist. All four orbs glowed bright red as he began to chant, "O Lords of Darkness of the Four Worlds, grant unto me all the powers you possess…." Then he planted the butt of his staff on the air at his feet, as if he were striking his staff on the ground. "Blast Bomb!"

A massive globe of energy erupted, appearing around Xellos and the two women and rolling outward, disintegrating the screaming Skurge as it passed over him. Seconds later, there was no trace of the pseudo-demon.

The two sorceresses stared in awe at Xellos as he turned back towards them, settling onto the ground, his cape flapping dramatically.

"Xellos…" Lina began before he could speak. Then she pointed at him and burst out, "Sell me those talismans!"

"Eh!?" Xellos did a face-vault. "Not even a 'thank you' for that…?"

"Fine, thanks, but more importantly, those talismans! The ones around your wrist, the one around your waist, and the one you're wearing around your neck. You used that incantation to activate them and use them as a magic-booster. So, give them to me! I'll give you one thousand juls for them!"

"Now, look here…I can't just sell these. They're priceless artifacts, given to me by the great mage Lei Magnus a long time ago…."

"Fine! Five thousand juls!"

"Maybe if you offered five million," Xellos offered with a sigh.

"Okay! Deal!"

Xellos blinked. "Huh?"

Lina, quick as lightning, had her cloak off and laid it out on the ground. From various magic pockets she produced a variety of knickknacks and began to count them off. "A pound and a half of crushed golden achrymal. Four leaves of the Oldain Mana Tree. Three Lightstaves. And one elixir of youth. Sell all that, and you could easily get five million juls."

Even Xellos was taken aback by the scope of treasures that Lina had accumulated over her adventures and now presented to him—rare and valuable magic items. Still, he was hesitant. "S-still, I can't…."

"Sell them already!"

About a minute later Lina was finally strapping the last of the medallions in place. "There we go," she sighed, looking at them. "Well, the cure was wrecked, but this should help. With this I should be able to work it off more quickly…."

"What are you talking about?" Naga asked as she dug through the rubble. "What good will that booster do you?"

"You know how magic seals work, don't you?" Lina said, concentrating on her magic.

"Of course," Naga replied easily. "Magic is received and expelled through pores in the body generally referred to as 'mana slots'. A magic seal stops up those slots and prevents mana from exiting or leaving the body."

"That's right!" agreed Kira, who was helping Naga in her digging. "Mana is absorbed from the air and gathered in the body in the mana organs, and mana flows through the body by the mana circuits! But when sealed, mana can't get out!"

"Right," Lina continued. "It's possible to fight that seal by forcing magic against the seal. The seal works because it's adaptive and smart, and acts…kind of like a lock. If part of it is broken through, it rebuilds that connection by drawing energy from the whole, but it has to weaken other parts in order to rebuild the lock. So, fighting off the seal is like working a kind of puzzle, finding which parts of the seal have grown weaker before they rebuild their strength.

"Of course, there's a limit to how much magic you use at once to work against the seal. The 'bucket capacity', I call it—the amount of mana you can gather from your reservoir at any one moment is like a bucket you use to scoop water out of a pool…and while 'bucket capacity' can vary, there's never enough difference for a mortal to overpower a seal through brute force. But these talismans…the 'Demon Blood Talismans' aren't a mere mana battery, they increase a mage's bucket capacity—they are a powerful magic amplification tool. By increasing my bucket capacity four to five times, I can batter my way through the seal more easily…."

"Ah, all well and good…oh!" Naga suddenly pulled a charred and worn-looking book from the rubble and held it up. "Here it is! I spotted this just before the…accident. It looks like an ancient book of spells…."

Lina snatched it up and looked it over. "This isn't a book of spells…this is a copy of the Claire Bible manuscript!"

"Ah, the Claire Bible," Xellos noted with pleasure. "The word 'Bible', of course, deriving itself from the ancient Latin for 'books', the Claire Bible manuscript is a compilation of the magic writings of the renowned ancient Archmage, Modell Claire…."

Lina was looking through the book. Kain's grown by leaps and bounds already since he graduated from the university, mostly because of the Obsidian Star. Having seen them first hand, I have to admit…even if I get my power back in full, I need to take a step forward if I want to stand up to them. These talismans are a nice start. If this is a genuine copy of the Claire Bible, I should be able to find something in here….

"What's this...? The Lord of Nightmares…."

She had an audience—the other three were gathered around her, reading (or at least looking) over her shoulder, but she hardly paid them any attention, her eyes devouring the knowledge of the spell before her eyes.

And as I turn this page, I'll learn to cast this spell, the 'Ragna Blade...'

She turned the page…and finished reading.

"Did your grandfather use this book, Kira?" Lina asked the little girl.

"Oh, yes! Sometimes! Not much, because it's very important and powerful, but on difficult cases he'd use it!"

"Hmm…." Lina looked at the book thoughtfully. "If a magical doctor used this, it might also have something that could cure Zelgadis…."

Suddenly Naga grabbed the book and tried to pry it out of Lina's hands. "Well, all very nice, but let me have it at it now! I found it, after all!"

"Hey! Wait your turn! There's something else I have to check…."

Xellos sighed inwardly as the two girls wrestled over the book. Well, even if they are allies, it will be troublesome if either of those girls learns too much from that book….

He snapped his fingers, and the book suddenly burst into flames. Both girls yelped and dropped the book, and before they could recover enough senses to try and extinguish the fire, the tome had already been reduced to ash.

"Oh dear!" Xellos declared with a laugh. "Old magical tomes can be quite unstable…it seems the heat of the explosion and the stress of your fight and magical power proved too much for it. But…you did gain something useful from it, Miss Lina?"

Lina glared at Xellos for a second, suspecting his involvement in the sudden disposal of the book, but dropped the scowl with a sigh. "Yeah," she said. "One more weapon to protect myself with, at least. We'll see how useful it is. Now we better get back to Gourry and Zelgadis as soon as possible."

"And then what?" Naga asked. "Are you really sure those talismans alone will do enough for restoring your power?"

"Well, I should try a test…." She concentrated, not evoking the full power of the talismans through incantation but merely mentally focusing power from them and drawing it into her mana circuits. "Levitation!" She floated up into the air several feet.

"Hey, there we go!" she declared triumphantly. "Okay, good to go!"

Then suddenly she faltered and began to drop like a stone. She hit the ground before her magic kicked in again, and actually bounced back up to float into the air with a curse. "Well, still a bit unsteady…."

"And what's our goal after reuniting with our comrades?" Xellos offered, nobly passing on remarking on the slip.

Lina settled back onto the ground and said, "Kain's just passed along his plan globally, telling everyone to gather at Orimus. That's all well and good, but having Horius hound us every step of the way is going to be a problem. First thing we do is take the fight to Horius and put a stop to him…."

8-8-8

The last of the trolls fell to Gourry's and Zelgadis' swords. Dilgear stared at them in shock and panic. "A-all of them!? And we didn't even get any screen time to show them!?"

"I guess it's the end of the line, Dilgear," Zelgadis said, stalking forward.

Dilgear hurried backward and fell over…revealing two new figures that we have not seen in a while. "R-Rodimus! Zolf!" Dilgear scrabbled at their feet. "S-so, you've finally shown up! H-help me out here!"

The two regarded him stoically. Then Rodimus stabbed Dilgear with the spike on his halberd and speared him into a nearby rock.

"W-what!?" Dilgear gasped as Rodimus backed away. "A-are you betraying me and Master Horius!?"

"We never worked for Horius," Zolf declared flatly, blasting Dilgear with a spell. "We have always followed Master Zelgadis."

The flaming arrows released by the mage pinned Dilgear to the rock. "Y-you…just wait until I come back to life!" And then his body sagged and went still.

The two turned their attention to their proclaimed master, and Zolf kneeled. "My lord…you ran off without telling us. We've been searching for you for a long time. Why didn't you take us with you?"

"We are still your loyal soldiers," Rodimus agreed, taking a knee next to his companion. "We will fight any enemy you choose, whether that enemy is Lina Inverse, or Horius and his Obsidian Star."

Zelgadis gave a grunt and sheathed his sword. "Sorry about leaving. I wasn't sure what I was getting into by turning on Horius and didn't want to get you involved if I didn't have to. But since you're here…I suppose I'll have to accept your help again. First, I'd better tell you about our plans…."

The pair listened as Zelgadis laid out the situation. "So, Lina Inverse is looking for a cure to the seal you put on her in the first place," Zolf noted. "Somewhat ironic. Can she really find a magic that will eliminate the seal?"

"Who knows?" Zelgadis replied noncommittally. "She's talented enough that it won't make much of a difference—she'll have it off before too long anyway, but the biggest drawback is that, until we know for certain that she's at full power, she can't be relied upon against our immediate enemy, Horius."

"That is unfortunate," Rodimus agreed. "We could really use her help right now—Zolf and I learned where Horius' lair is, and he's sequestered himself there now. Supposedly, he's preparing some major magic ritual."

"He might or might not be more vulnerable during this ritual," Zolf added. "However, now would be the best time to attack him, before he completes his ritual. If he's a magic scientist specializing in making chimeras, he could be building a more powerful servant as we speak."

Zelgadis considered this in silence for several seconds, then nodded. "…Yes. I would prefer to have all our allies together, but you're absolutely right—I'd rather eliminate a threat before it manifests than gamble on Lina being powerful enough to help us destroy it afterwards. We'll go there. Lina and that Xellos figure should be able to track us down if they've finished their errand." He turned to the blond swordsman behind him, who had been taking all this in with his usual amiable implacability. "Is that all right with you, Gourry?"

"Huh? Well, sure…I really don't understand much more about it anyway. We can't just sit around and wait for Lina forever, though, right?"

And so the four men began their journey to the dragon's den….

8-8-8

Xellos lifted his staff and incanted the tracking spell. "Hmm…they're on the move. They've picked up a pair of allies as well, it seems. They've changed directions. I think they're moving into Horius' sanctuary…."

"So Zelgadis got the same idea I did," Lina noted. "Well, we better get moving…I have a bad feeling about this. We'll have to hurry if we want to arrive in time to head out. Ray Wing!"

She took off into the air—still somewhat unsteadily—and Xellos and Naga quickly hurried after her.

8-8-8

The large egg pulsed, the veins running through its surface writhing and changing direction. Horius stared at it with pleasure. "Marvelous," he muttered. "A master piece. With this we may have finally surpassed Eminus and his 'children'. And to think, this is only two of them…."

"Well, don't count your chickens before they hatch," Kalovus advised him. "While both the Marble and the Shapesphere have remarkable powers, we don't yet know how they will affect your transmutations. And even with this success, I would not celebrate our greatness after using a crutch like this…."

"Whatever. The proof will come soon enough." He sighed. "Can't I keep them for just a little bit longer? I could make so many more…."

"His Highness is growing impatient," Kalovus replied, pocketing the two smalls orbs. "Along with the Always One, they are the three artifacts necessary to build our world here. If we can master them, we would not need the Crystal Princess, or the land of Takamori."

"Does that mean you're about to abandon your pursuit of the little priestess?"

Kalovus shook his head. "No, no, of course not. We need every edge we can get, after all. Complacency and arrogant assumptions were what cost us in our last attempt. I will continue to hunt the girl, regardless of her guardian and his abilities…as I assume you will continue to hunt Lockeheart's son?"

Horius merely smiled in reply. Kalovus turned and began to walk away, vanishing in the act.

"Of course it will be not like last time," Horius murmured. "This time, we will prepare…for every contingency."

8-8-8

Zelgadis surveyed the scene. "An old temple of the Glabados Church," he murmured. "No big surprise…one of the things Kalan Lockeheart did was reveal that the Glabados Church was a front for the Obsidian Star. We thought all traces of them had vanished, but….

"Well, here goes nothing. Let's go."

They descended from their overlook into the little glade where the temple sat. It had been abandoned for twenty years, and showed the signs. The front doors were wide open…almost invitingly.

And, as they silently entered, weapons drawn, they entered a pillared entry hall. Braziers flamed to life in sequence as they entered. At the end of the doors opened to reveal a chapel, also lit by braziers…and at the head of the chapel, in place of a usual stand or altar, was an enormous egg, red, and thrumming with energy. "What…is that?" Zolf demanded, half in fear and half in awe at the sight.

"My treasure," replied the voice of Horius from above and behind them. He was up on a balcony above them. "Well, Zolf, Rodimus, Zelgadis…how good of you to come and see me again. You've chosen a wonderful time to come and visit…."

"That's it?" Zelgadis demanded, turning his attention to the man above them. "No threats, no questioning our loyalty, no declarations of how we'll pay for turning on you?"

Horius shrugged. "Why should I? You'll all be dead soon enough anyway. Behold my masterpiece!"

Horius raised his hand and the egg suddenly began to emit a great red light. Then it burst open, cracking apart in sinewy fashion, and a creature emerged from it. The beast was constructed halfway between a humanoid and a quadruped animal, with red skin draped around a semi-upright frame. Baleful golden eyes gazed at the four intruders.

"Behold my greatest creation!" Horius declared unnecessarily. "Equal parts magical beast and mazoku infused with power from our star. Appreciate it…because it's the last thing you'll ever see."

Zolf scoffed and stepped towards the monster as it rose up and began stretch as it climbed out of its broken shell. "This is your masterpiece?" he said derisively. "It certainly looks intimidating, but there's no magical power in at all. We're not the same group of foolish humans you pushed around twenty years ago. We're strong." He cupped his hands and began to chant. "Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows. Buried in the stream of time. In thy great name I pledge myself to darkness. Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess! Dragon Slave!"

Zelgadis blanched and Gourry jumped to safety as Zolf unleashed the spell; above on the balcony, Horius merely smiled. The creature looked up and reached out a hand. The massive stream of red-black chaos energy was sucked into its hand, and vanished. Then an orb of that same color appeared before the still-outstretched claw, pulsing and growing. Zolf could only stare in shock.

"No! Zolf, get out of there!" Rodimus ran forward and took hold of his companion and began to flee. In vain—the creature unleashed the same energy from Zolf's Dragon Slave, and the ensuing explosion engulfed the two men, leaving nothing behind.

Zelgadis, emerging scathed and blackened from wreckage near the edge of the explosive radius, stared in shock at the vacancy. "Zolf…Rodimus…."

Gourry burst out of his own pile of rubble and stuttered, "W-what was that!?"

Horius laughed. "How do you like that? Don't underestimate my pet. It is a perfect tool to entrap and defeat Kain Lockeheart for me—a creature that is a void of mana, that takes it all in and unleashes it back upon the user. Behold the power of Aldanis—with it here, even the toys of Eminus are obsolete. Now, my dear pet…kill those two next…."

The pair readied their swords as the beast howled and leapt at them….

"Elmekia Lance!"

"Freeze Arrow!"

White and ice-blue magic missiles flew through the air towards the leaping beast, knocking it from the air but doing little apparent damage. The eyes turned to the pair of sorceresses in the doorway.

"Zelgadis…Gourry. Sorry we're late!" Lina declared.

"Lina!" Gourry called back. "You've got your powers back?"

"And who's your friend?" Zelgadis inquired somewhat suspiciously.

"Never mind that!" Lina stared down the monster Aldanis, which was pacing back and forth, observing her. "So, this is some kind of chimera made by Horius, huh? Just let me at it!"

"No, wait!" Gourry yelped.

"FIRE-BALL!" Heedless of Gourry's warning, Lina tossed her signature spell at the beast. It raised a claw and sucked in the spell, then returned it to Lina.

"Huh!? Wha…!" Lina dodged aside as the fireball headed towards her…and burst in a rather mild explosion.

Zelgadis blinked at the tiny crater. "Your…powers aren't completely returned yet, are they?"

"Shut up!" Lina shouted back angrily. "What's with that thing anyway?"

"Horius said it's a void of mana that sends back whatever spells you cast at it," Gourry answered.

The room stared at him in shock for several seconds. "How…remarkably well-remembered," Lina offered. "Well…."

"If magic isn't effective, we'll have to rely on muscle." So declaring, Zelgadis drew his sword. "Astral Vine!" His sword glowed red and, Gourry leaping up beside him with the Sword of Light, he attacked the monster.

Zelgadis and Gourry brought their swords down upon a shield that flashed to incandescent life a few feet away from the monster. It crossed its arms and then whipped them out, throwing them away with an explosion from the shield. It jumped after Zelgadis, landing right in from of him a mere moment after the man managed to recover. A swipe of its claw sent Zelgadis flying, crashing into the wall.

Gourry leapt in again and again found his sword blocked by the shield. He managed to dodge back away from Aldanis' counterattack. He dueled futilely with it while Lina looked on in horror and Naga made herself useful by hurrying to Zelgadis' side to apply healing magic to him.

Above, Horius laughed. "Well, how is he? He's still in his infant stage, but still, his power is impressive…so, what will you do? If you surrender to me, Lina Inverse, I may find goodness enough in my heart to spare your friends…."

Lina shot a glare up at him, then focused her gaze on the monster again. Not fully developed…as I watch it, I can get a feel for its power. Any spell I cast would be absorbed, up to and including a Dragon Slave…but….

There's one thing I can do…but…can I fully control it?

…All I can do is try….

"Gourry, back off!"

Gourry, surprised, jumped back.

Zelgadis had returned to consciousness and his feet and readied himself again. "You got some sort of trick up your sleeve, Lina?"

"One thing I can try." She began to stride forward. Aldanis regarded her carefully as she approached. She put her amulets in position, lining them up as she had seen Xellos do and called on their power. "Lords of Darkness of the Four Worlds, grant unto me all the power you possess….

"Lord of the Dreams that Terrify, Sword of Cold and Darkness, free yourself from the heavens' bonds and become one with my soul, one with my body and let us walk the path of destruction together. Power that can smash even the souls of the gods! Ragna Blade!"

Lina reached deep inside herself to draw out the energy, called on everything she had, opened the portal inside herself to connect with a world of chaos far beyond this dimension, and summoned that darkness into her hand. She felt her body shudder under the force of mana flowing through the circuits in her body and could almost feel every magic slot in her body convulse as that magic slammed against it, fighting to escape….

Finally an enormous black blade manifested in her hands. Still, to call it a blade was generous; the giant weapon convulsed and twitched, unable to maintain a proper shape.

Horius stared in shock. "W-what is…!?"

Aldanis regarded Lina, and held its ground as she came at it with the weapon. The black blade met and briefly struggled with its shield before it burst, and then it raised its claws before the weapon, but the warping energy ignored the calls of the monster. The blackness cleaved into it, cut through it, sliced it in twain, and the two halves disintegrated amidst a terrible scream.

Lina panted as her blade faded away. Then, with a gasp, she vomited blood out of her mouth and collapsed to her knees. With a cry, Gourry hurried to her side.

Zelgadis turned his attention to Horius, who was staring down at the scene with open-mouthed disbelief. "Well, your pet's gone, Horius. Now, it's your turn!"

Horius blanched and put up a shield as Zelgadis released a fireball at him. Zelgadis followed his spell in and leapt onto to the balcony. He swung his sword in, which Horius also blocked. An explosion threw Zelgadis back, but as Horius attempted to prepare a new defense, a small explosion burst through his chest, just below his heart.

Horius gasped and slowly turned his head in shock to look behind him. Xellos floated in the air just behind him, smiling mockingly. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I surprise you, Mr. Obsidian Star?" Xellos ever-closed eyes opened, revealing a dangerous and vicious look that was forever hidden behind his humble smile.

"Y-you…who are…!?" Then he spat blood and collapsed to the ground.

"Xellos!"

Lina coughed and glanced up at the man. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to," she muttered.

"Oh, hello everyone! It seems I got lost on the way here!" Xellos said conversationally, turning his attention from the mortally-wounded mage.

Zelgadis hopped back onto the balcony and stared down at the man. "Not dead yet, are you? I hope not…because I still have questions for you…."

Horius gritted his teeth. "N-not…not like this…I won't…die like this!"

Suddenly darkness erupted around him. Xellos and Zelgadis were both forced back by the black cloud, and could only watch as Horius' body disintegrated into black and joined the darkness. Then it geysered into the air, smashing through the roof and disappearing into the sky.

The group stared after him. "Is he…dead?" Gourry asked.

"Hmm…who knows?" Xellos muttered. "He was something…not quite human, but not a real demon, of any type, either. In any case, he shouldn't be a bother for us again." Xellos stared up through the broken roof.

8-8-8

They spent the night camped in that old temple, and set on their journeys the next morning. Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis and Xellos set their sights towards the old capital of Orimus, while Naga declined to continue journeying with them—a decision that was not to Lina's displeasure.

"It was fun hanging with you again, but the kind of thing you're mixed up in is a little too much for me," she explained. "I prefer a little less risk and a little more reward in my jobs. Still, I wish you the best of luck!"

With the sun rising behind them, they stared out in the direction of their destination. "The Obsidian Star," she muttered. "They're better-hidden, but seemingly more powerful than they were before. You're right about one thing, Zel—we need allies if we're going to put a stop to them. Kain, and all his students…and somehow we'll have to find a way to recruit the powers of the world to our side, too. All of this has to be found in the old capital of Orimus." She glanced over at him. "Your best lead was taken…you're still hanging on?"

"While Horius was my best chance of finding a cure, it's not the only one," Zelgadis declared. "Evidence shows the Obsidian Star has more masters of chimeras in its ranks. Besides which, I owe them for using me. C'mon…we'd better quit standing around and get moving

And so their journey continued….

8-8-8

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Xellos, the Roguish Priest

So! We've fought through and completed Lina's individual arc. The next we'll really see her will be at the eventual gathering in Orimus. She has her party put together—the usual four, minus Amelia, plus Xellos. As I mentioned, I already have trouble fitting all the kingdoms I've got into this magic world, and Amelia's kingdom of Seyruun was particularly large and powerful and influential, so it's a bit late in the game to throw it in. Also, Amelia's character is perhaps a bit too overblown to add to this already bloated cast. Gourry, Zelgadis, and even Xellos are rather more low-key.

I did have her sister, however. Naga the Serpent is actually also a princess of Seyruun, and although that kingdom itself doesn't exist, it still makes good background for her and was alluded to in the chapter. Even so, changing her to minor nobility run away from home doesn't actually do much to her non-existent background, since Naga's part never actually involves that kingdom. Like Lina's sister, the whole status of Naga as Seyruun's princess and Amelia's sister never is more than a footnote—Naga and Amelia never meet in the series, novels or anime, for instance.

This part began as the continuation of the 'Lina Loses Her Powers' mini-arc from Slayers NEXT. However, the person accompanying Lina and Xellos is originally Martina, princess of Zona, whose kingdom was destroyed by Lina in the first episode of that series. She spends the rest of NEXT hunting Lina with a vendetta. She's amusing, but since I haven't had any place for a Martina to appear, there was no reason or point in bringing her in. Instead, introducing Naga, Lina's constant companion from most of the Slayers movies, was a great way to create a small amount of background for her. Naga was a minor companion I was never fond of, an annoying character, but was a reasonable enough piece to drop in to be useful here.

Again, I made minor adjustments based on that change. I don't know the original reason Xellos recruited Martina before taking Lina to the magic doctor Runan—probably just for the amusement of watching her attempt revenge on the powerless sorceress. Here, the reason is obstensibly to help provide protection, since Xellos doesn't like to use his powers in the open too much and draw attention to himself. While Martina originally sabotaged Lina's cure, Naga, while competitive, isn't THAT evil to her, but she can be klutzy and incompetent at the wrong times, hence her knocking the evil formula in to destroy it makes sense. So Xellos is forced to use his powers to vanquish the monster sent after Lina here, and Lina 'buys' the magic Demon's Blood Talismans off of Xellos. I can't remember the exact items she sells, so I came up with some of my own, but the price was that exorbitant—Lina is actually a very successful, wealthy sorceress…and a bit of a miser, at least one who fights every price she can, despite her inclination towards comforts and especially good food.

Then I just adjusted the rest of the adventure to fit in with Horius. I feel kind of bad about Zolf and Rodimus dying in such a pathetic fashion and becoming footnotes, but they similarly died thus in the original Slayers series. Since I introduced them, I had to wrap them up, and they just weren't cool or important enough to keep, especially in this bloated cast….

Horius is gone, mostly for good…that's all I can say on the subject. Kalovus and Kai will likewise meet their fates in the upcoming chapters, leaving to a change of status for certain parts of the Obsidian Star….

_Xellos the Roguish Priest has many names and titles, depending on the translation and adaptation of the work in question (novels or anime). He serves the Greater Beast Zelas Metallium, one of the five greatest demons of Slayers mythos. I better give a brief rundown of that: the creator of pretty much all things in the Slayers Universe is the Lord of Nightmares, from whom both the divine race, Shinzoku, and the demon race, Mazoku, were born. Four of her children became the greatest 'monsters', the progenitors of the race of mazoku: Ruby-Eyed Shabrinigdo, Dark Star Dugradigdu, Chaotic Blue and Death Fog. Each 'rules', or at least seeks to rule, a different plane or world—the Demon's Blood Talismans refer to, and actually are composed of power from, all four of these (hence the four rulers of the four worlds). Incidentally, although all illustrations in the novels and all through the anime all four are shown to be red, in the final novel author Hajime Kanzaka suddenly declares that they are white, black, blue, and red, one color per talisman and per lord and world, and it becomes a serious plot aspect as Lina breaks each talisman in turn to invoke a Dragon Slave-caliber spell composed of that lord's energy. In any case, Ruby-Eyed Shabrinigdo was the lord of the world that the Slayers series takes place on, and he had five lieutenants under him: Hellmaster Fibrizo, Chaos Dragon Gaav (or Gaav, the Demon-Dragon King in English), Greater Beast Zelas Metallium, Dynast Grausherra, and Deep Sea Dolphin (as you can tell, Hajime is the kind of Japanese author that will pick any cool-sounding English name without realizing how stupid it might actually sound to English speakers). Each of these five lords of chaos had a general and a priest, their ultimate servants, equal in power to each other. Zelas, however, pooled all of that power into a single figure: Xellos, who became her general AND priest, and thus is the most powerful demon of the Slayers universe apart from those five (and, of course, the four lords). This is especially true because, 1,000 years before the series takes place, in the War of the Monsters' Fall (as it is called in English), most of the five lords lost most of their generals and priests in battle against the shinzoku. THAT is how powerful Xellos actually is….

This universe of mine, constructed for this patchwork fanfic, assumes a similar but not so precise demon pantheon. Beings of 'chaos' such as the Lord of Nightmares have no actual bearing on mortal worlds—rather, the Lord of Nightmare's children and creations were simply the demonic and 'heavenly' planes, who seek to interfere for various reasons in the worlds of mortals, as Alyssa explained back in Part 5. In this case, with this expanded knowledge I've recently gleaned from studying the Slayers' universe, I can note that there are four great universes of demons, and one of the them, with Ruby-Eyed Shabrinigdo as its Lord, 'borders' Arcanus Myrror enough for demons to be drawn to it (and, of course, it's opposite side, this earth). And from the Lord of Nightmares there was also born a more 'divine' race of demon-like beings who similarly draw nourishment and power from positive emotions and feelings, similar to the 'astrars' (nearly identical, in fact) that I introduced during the Magiverse. This shinzoku, however, will not appear in MSK…well, not in force.

In any case, Xellos is an amusing character, at least in the anime. In the novels, he is supposedly more dark and sinister, and Lina and co. fear him a lot more, as he shows a lot more of his true mazoku side. However, this Xellos adopts the more amusing and well-known persona from the anime, where he is mostly mischievous and humorous, tricking the party and sometimes threatening them but rarely going out of his way to go against them. In this universe, he has, as he explained before to Lina and Kain, various reasons to support them, as his master and her kinsfolk generally do not approve of the world the Obsidian Star is trying to create. Xellos is a demon, and draws sustenance and pleasure from tasting human emotions of fear, hate, and the rest, but, like most magical creatures who dwell among them, he has adapted some significant human traits from his proximity, and has come to really like humans. Frustration, a rather minor flaw and negative emotion, is what he tends to enjoy the most, and so he likes to be a prankster and trickster as he goes about pretending to be a simple, humble (but roguish) priest.

As another aside, I should note that, in this expanded universe, there are other demons, demon 'princes', of power equivalent to Hellmaster Fibrizo and his peers, but who did not actively seek to support Shabrinigdo. Alyssa, for instance, would actually be one of these. There are perhaps a dozen more like her, and a successively greater amount as you go down a power-level 'tier' among the mazoku. This little side note, among other things, gives me just cause to introduce more demons at my whim from other anime or my own imagination if the situation warrants it.

Now then, the Slayers' chapter is finished, so we will move on to conclude Inuyasha….


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Eight: Human!? The Hanyô's Lost Powers!

"Ah, this feels great!" Kagome breathed, sitting in the back of the boat and feeling the gentle breeze as they were carried down the river.

"Listen, Kagome," snapped her white-haired guardian, "we're not here to play, you know."

"Oh, fish!" the girl cried upon spotting a school swimming beside them, pointedly ignoring Inuyasha's scolding.

The hanyô muttered in disgust and turned his seemingly ever-present ire on the fox lad, who was leaning over the edge up of the boat with his eyes spinning, making rather pathetic noises. "Shippô! Isn't it pathetic for a yôkai to get motion sick on a little boat like this?"

Then, up ahead, a sudden motion caught their eye. On a low cliff up ahead, a human girl, perhaps a little older than Kagome, was fleeing something in haste…haste only partially reined in by the edge of the cliff. Then the creature pursuing appeared. At first glance it was human, but as it bowed itself down its head shot out, stretching like a snake to attack the girl.

"It's a yôkai!" Myôga declared from Inuyasha's shoulder.

The girl was knocked off the cliff, and….

"She's going to fall right on the boat!" Kagome observed in panic.

Inuyasha swore mildly and leapt to action, catching the girl in midair and landing safely on the shore. "Nice catch!" Kagome declared, actually announcing the phrase in English.

Inuyasha glanced up at the cliff above and just saw the shadow slink away. What was that…?

The girl, who had half-passed out from shock from her fall, began to rouse her faculties and partially recognize her rescuer. "Y-you rescued me…that was close…thank you…."

Then she got a good look at him, and her eyes seemed to focus on Inuyasha's ears. Instantly her whole demeanor changed. "L-let go of me, you yôkai!" And she punctuated her speech with a surprisingly vicious slap, stunning her savior and dropping him into the river.

8-8-8

"Jeez, what a stupid joke," Inuyasha muttered as he rung out his clothes.

Kagome, meanwhile, was tending to the girl. She had short black hair and wore a one-piece short-skirted pink dress of Japanese origin, tied with a yellow obi, or belt-sash. She wore straw sandals with pink leg-warmers, rather than any socks, and had no other visible clothing.

She also seemed to be in poor humor. "Say, are you from this mountain?" Kagome asked conversationally.

"And what if I am?" she snapped back.

"Even though we saved her, this girl's got no manners," Shippo remarked, tending to the group's fire.

"Shut up!" the girl snapped back. You're a yôkai too, aren't you!? I hate yôkai and all their kind!" She turned away in a huff.

"Umm…" Kagome began, not quite sure how to respond, but wishing to calm the girl and get some information out of her, "that thing earlier…what was it?"

"They're called 'Spider-heads'," she replied. "They settled on this mountain last spring. They take possession of the heads of corpses and go around attacking people. They've already eaten many people in this area."

As usual, Kagome's sympathetic heart was moved by this story. "Say, Inuyasha," she said, turning to the hanyô, "why don't we help out?"

"Keh. How stupid," Inuyasha muttered. He hopped into the boat. "Let's go, Kagome. We're leaving this mountain by nightfall."

Kagome was taken aback by this firm declaration. "W-why?" she asked in confusion. "There are yôkai on the rampage here! We can't just pass through without stopping…."

"Now, listen here," Inuyasha insisted, "I haven't been hunting yôkai just to save people who are in trouble…."

"W-well, that's true…." What's with him? Even if he isn't altruistic, he'd usually at least investigate this…it's as if he wants to avoid these yôkai….

The stranger, meanwhile, was making her way back up the mountain. She heard Kagome's expression of surprise and turned back to look at her. "I'm going home," she declared flatly.

"But it's dangerous," Kagome pressed. "We can at least see you safely home."

"It's all right. I especially don't want help from a yôkai…."

Then the vine she was attempting to climb snapped and dropped her back onto the ground. The trio stared at her, and then Kagome regarded Inuyasha sternly. The hanyô sighed in defeat.

8-8-8

"Ah, there's the temple!" Kagome declared cheerfully. Shippô hopped along next to her. Inuyasha carried the girl, dragging his feet at the rear—neither he nor his burden was happy with the setup.

It was a traditional Japanese temple—the usual type of buildings at the outskirt borders of the kingdom that Inuyasha (and Kagome, at the moment, because of the price on her head) preferred to travel through. An old priest, an oshô, as they were called in the dialect, came out to meet them. He regarded the girl with surprise. "Nazuna…who are these people?"

"Oshô-sama!" With little regard for her carrier, she clambered down and hurried over to the old man.

"Were you attacked by the Spider-heads?" the priest asked.

"I was picking flowers for the grave," Nazuna began. "And then…." She put her knees and hands to the ground and bowed her head low to meet her hands in the ancient Japanese gesture of true contrition. "I ended up letting these wicked yôkai break into the temple. Forgive me!"

"This girl," Shippô muttered as Inuyasha glared at their charge.

"Yôkai, you say?" The oshô regarded Inuyasha and company carefully.

"Feh!" Inuyasha spat. "Don't worry, we won't be staying long."

"Ah, hold a moment," the priest insisted as the white-haired hanyô turned away. "It grows late. Won't you at least rest at the temple tonight?"

"O-Oshô-sama?" Nazuna asked in horrified shock.

The priest turned to her kindly. "Prepare a meal for our guests," he instructed her.

Reluctantly, with many doubtful glances back behind her, Nazuna entered one of the temple buildings.

"To act in such a way after being saved by you…" the priest murmured to Kagome. "Please forgive her rudeness. You see, that child, Nazuna….

"Her father was killed by the Spider-heads, you see. I have been taking care of her since then, but it seems that she now distrusts all yôkai. With my humble spiritual powers, I have erected a barrier around this temple so the Spider-heads haven't been able to enter, and so we've lived together these past several months. However…." He turned his gaze to Inuyasha. "Despite what the girl says…it might be my imagination, but you are an ordinary human, are you not?"

This surprising comment riled Inuyasha up, and he snapped back without hesitation, "Are you blind or something, old man!? Me, an ordinary human?"

"Well, your appearance aside," the old man continued, "I sense no yôki from you…."

Inuyasha's face tightened for the merest fraction of a second, and then his face curled back in rage and he flexed his claws. "Interesting…shall we test if I'm human or not!?" He prepared to leap at the priest.

"Osuwari," Kagome said softly, and Inuyasha collapsed, magically compelled, to the ground. As the priest stared at this development in fascination, Kagome apologized for his behavior.

8-8-8

Nevertheless, Kagome thought as the three travelers finished their dinner in the guest room provided for them, there's something…as the oshô-sama said, it seems that Inuyasha's yôki…is greatly diminished….

"Inuyasha…" she finally hazarded. "You've been acting strangely all day. Are you sure you're all right? You got way too angry about what that priest said earlier…."

"That's right, Inuyasha-sama," Myôga chided him while sitting at the edge of the rice bowl, picking up and consuming the stray kernels. "You must act with more dignity. With a dai-yôkai for a father and a human noble for a mother, you are a magnificent hanyô."

"But a 'magnificent hanyô' is still just trash, isn't it?" Shippô needled him.

"Shut it," Inuyasha responded, cracking the boy over the head again. While Shippô whined, Inuyasha returned to his own thoughts. Dammit…how did that damn priest see right through me…?

Suddenly he found Kagome incredibly close to him, staring intently at him. "Inuyasha…" she finally said. "Could it be that…you're afraid of spiders?" She was thinking, of course, of her roommate, Mai, who had that particular phobia.

Shippô rather liked this idea, and transformed himself into a Shippô-sized spider and leapt at Inuyasha. When Inuyasha flattened the spider without hesitation, Kagome admitted, "I'm wrong?"

"Damn right you are!" Inuyasha rose and stalked to the door, throwing it open.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna sleep by myself!" he snapped. "If you don't mind your own damn business…."

Suddenly a dark cloud started descending from the ceiling…a horde of spiders with human heads.

Nazuna ran through the halls of the temple, pursued by more of the beasts. H-how could Spider-heads be here!? They shouldn't be able to come in past the barrier!

"Oshô-sama!" she wailed, stumbling into the priest's chamber. She stared in horror as Spider-heads crawled over the priest, who lay prone on the floor.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was fighting the spiders off with his claws. "They just keep coming!" Kagome wailed.

"Kagome, Shippô, you two get out of here!" Inuyasha barked.

"B-but…!" the girl began.

"Shut up! If I only have myself to worry about, I'll manage somehow!" He put his hand on the hilt of his sword and began to draw. "Just go!"

"O-okay…." The pair began to comply, but Kagome, glancing back, saw Inuyasha flailing away…with the blunt and worn 'sealed' sword.

Tetsusaiga…why isn't it transforming!?

Without the sword's power, Inuyasha seemed to be helpless. The swarming spiders began to spin webs, and in moments Inuyasha was engulfed by the silk. "Inuyasha!" Kagome yelped, heading back.

"Kitsune-bi!" Shippô shouted, dispersing some of the swarm with his foxfire.

It was weak flame, mostly illusion, but it was enough to at least scatter these minor beasts, and Kagome was able to tear aside some of the webs and lay hold of the hanyô. She started to drag him away, still trailing a large amount of webbing. "Hang in there!" she insisted.

She managed to drag him to the door and from there the three managed to stumble out and hurry out into the forest around them.

After several minutes, they stopped to rest. "Looks like we're not being followed anymore…" Kagome offered through her panting.

"Damn it," Inuyasha muttered, leaning on his sword, still cloaked by a healthy mass of webbing.

"Inuyasha, what's the matter?" Kagome pressed, worried.

"Shut up!"

Shippô danced over and gave his usual impotent punch to Inuyasha's head. "What's with that attitude!? Kagome's just worried about you!"

"Stupid," Inuyasha sighed, grabbing the web and finally pulling it free from his head. "You should be worrying about yourselves…." Kagome gasped at the vision before her. Inuyasha's hair was pure black, his usually golden-yellow eyes were likewise dark orbs and, most remarkably, he had no dog ears upon his head. "If you expect you're going to be saved like always, you're sadly mistaken."

8-8-8

Back inside the temple, Nazuna stared at the stricken priest. He lifted his eyes painfully to her. "Nazuna…run away…."

"B-but, Oshô-sama," the girl imbled, "I can't just leave you here!"

"Go…now!" the old man insisted. "I can't hold these Spider-heads with my powers for much longer. At the very least, you must save yourself. Run to Inuyasha-dono and the others…."

With a final cry, the girl fled out into the night.

8-8-8

"Inuyasha…" Kagome murmured, still in shock.

"What're you staring at?" the man growled.

Shippô hopped onto Inuyasha's head and patted around, as if searching for lost keys. "His dog ears are gone!" he announced.

"What's going on?" Kagome demanded. "You almost look human."

"Heh." Inuyasha held up a hand. "I don't have claws or fangs right now, either."

Myôga, who had been safely hiding on Kagome's shoulder, took point to explain. "For beast-type hanyô, such as Inuyasha, who have exceptionally strong demon parentage, there is a short periodic time that they lose the magical powers flowing through the blood in their veins. Because that is the time they are most vulnerable, they usually will never reveal that time to others. For Inuyasha-sama, that time is the first night of the new month, when the moon does not appear…."

"First night of the month…" Kagome murmured, considering. The new moon…?

"But, Inuyasha-sama," Myôga whined, changing gears. "How could you have not told me, at the very least? We're fortunate that we are on Arcanus Myrror, and not earth, but…."

"I never told you because if you had known, you'd have already run away," Inuyasha pointed out simply.

Myôga paused for several seconds before finally replying, "Can you trust me so little?"

"That pause is the exact reason why I can't trust you!" The human shot back scathingly.

"Why are we fortunate we're in the magical world?" Kagome interjected curiously.

"The moon takes forty-nine days to go through its cycle here," Myôga explained, properly distracted from his distress, "although months are still usually reckoned according to the lunar cycle of earth. Regardless, Inuyasha-sama's power is directed by the state of the moon that shines down on him…."

Kagome nodded in acknowledgement of this fact, and then suddenly switched gears. "Well then…what about me!?" she burst out, getting in Inuyasha's face. "If I had known, I wouldn't have insisted we go into this nest of yôkai! Couldn't you have trusted me that much!?"

"I can't trust anyone!" Inuyasha yelled back. Kagome recoiled in shock. "I've lived that way my whole life. You've got no reason to complain."

"I-I'm sorry," Kagome offered meekly. Tears began to form in her eyes. "Still…you could have trusted me a little…."

Inuyasha was completely taken aback by this reaction. "O-oi," he began, "this isn't the time to start crying…."

"You're so cold and uncaring…and you always try to do everything on your own…you're worse than Kain-sensei that way….because of that…."

Suddenly she flared into anger and shouted in fury, "…we've ended up in the worst possible situation, haven't we!? You're such an idiot, you, you, you…idiot!"

As Inuyasha wilted beneath Kagome's fury, Shippô did not join the girl in censuring the hanyô. Instead, he sat off to the side, pondering the situation and staring into space. Now that Inuyasha has degraded to an incompetent human, I, as a yôkai, am the only one able to protect us all…. "I've gotta hang tight!"

All three were brought to fearful alertness by the sound of rustling in the bushes. Then Nazuna stumbled into view, collapsing to the ground a little in front of them. She moaned.

"Nazuna…."

"Is she all right?" Kagome asked fearfully.

They settled the girl, and she explained the predicament to them. "Oshô-san has…!?" Kagome gasped.

"He's still alive," Nazuna insisted. "Please…help him! That yôkai, Inuyasha or whatever, he's strong, isn't he?"

"Eh…." Kagome looked back over her shoulder towards the hanyô, who was seated hiding behind a tree, reluctant, of course, to reveal his human form any more than necessary. In Nazuna's confusion and fatigue, and in the darkness, she had not noticed his current state. "What should we do, Inuyasha?"

"Ha! How dismal," Inuyasha muttered. He stood. "Come on, Kagome. Let's not overstay our welcome in a dangerous place like this.

Nazuna finally caught sight of the raven-haired Inuyasha as he emerged from behind of the tree. She stared in shock. "He's…changed into a human…?"

Inuyasha glanced back over his shoulder at the girl. "First of all, you didn't want some crummy yôkai's help, right?"

"Then you intend to run away and abandon oshô-sama!?"

"If you wanna put it that way…" Inuyasha muttered in reply.

"What should we do, Kagome?" Shippo asked.

"W-well…I guess I can at least heal Nazuna…." Then she stopped suddenly. "Er…ah!"

Inuyasha glanced back over his shoulder again. "What?"

"Er…my card…and my wand…I left them back there…along with my bag…."

"WHAT!?"

8-8-8

And so….

"Here we are, back at the temple," Inuyasha announced, a pile of sotôba, or wooden grave markers, very long and rather thin pieces of wood marked with the names of deceased, under his arm.

"Y-yeah!" Shippô declared, sitting on his shoulder and clinging to him.

The two girls followed behind them. "He pulled out all those sotôba from the graves…" Kagome murmured.

"Is he a blasphemous cretin or what?" Nazuna growled.

Then Inuyasha suddenly turned and tossed the sheathed Tetsusaiga to Kagome. "Inuyasha…?" she asked in surprise.

"Kagome, you stay here with Nazuna," he ordered her. "Even if it hasn't transformed, you can use Tetsusaiga to drive off the Spider-heads." Then he turned back to the temple. "Okay, let's go, Shippô!"

"G-gotta hang on tight!"

"Take care…" Kagome offered as the two changed away.

Nazuna stared after them intensely. "…That guy…will he help save Oshô-sama?"

"Probably," Kagome replied. "Despite how he looks and acts, he does have a good side…."

But for Kagome, the trouble was not with Inuyasha's attitude. Inuyasha…when will your body return to normal…?

Inuyasha threw open the door to the room they had occupied previously. The room inside was covered with spider webs. "The stuff's…not here?"

There was a chittering sound to their left, beyond their sight. Inuyasha held up a sotôba. "Shippô! Kitsune-bi!" Shippô lit the stake, and Inuyasha hurled it into the darkness. It hit the ground, its magic fire illuminating a host of spiders scuttling over and around a small webbed mound—Kagome's bag.

The demon arachnids scuttled nervously at the sight of the fire, but Shippô wasn't put any at ease by this. "Y-yikes," he muttered at the sight of the swarm.

"So that's why the Spider-heads didn't chase after us," Inuyasha noted. "They're dragging that bag around…is that their real target? Why?"

Then the Spider-heads began to jump at them.

"Kitsune-bi!" Shippô's flame lit another stake for Inuyasha, and then he retained it in his hand. As Inuyasha struck with this flaming weapon, Shippô also attempted to fight back any spiders that got too close.

Inuyasha pressed forward. "If we can burn all the spider threads, this should be no big deal!" he announced as Spider-heads scattered.

"We can win with my foxfire!" Shippô agreed.

The bag was in a short hallway, halfway between their entrance and the larger room the priest had occupied. Now in the hallway, they could look into the room and see the old man, strung up and hanging from various threads. Inuyasha spared him a glance. The priest…he's dead?

Outside, Nazuna was talking to Kagome. "Oshô-sama has been protecting this mountain from the Spider-heads with his spiritual powers. He held memorials for the bodies of those killed by the Spider-heads, so that they wouldn't rise as undead. And ever since my father was killed, Oshô-sama has protected me as well…."

And despite that, the Spider-heads' power and viciousness has grown to this extent…? Kagome wondered. Why…? Could it be that the oshô-sama has…?

Back inside….

"Oi, priest," Inuyasha grunted, climbing over to the old man.

The priest stirred and raised his head, opening his eyes and looking over at the young demon. "Inuyasha-dono…? You came…."

Inuyasha swore under his breath. "C'mon, priest," he grunted, and grabbed the old man's wrist. To his surprise, however, no motion was exerted on the body…the arm came effortlessly, stretching inhumanly. Then the hand snapped out around Inuyasha's throat and continued its stretching, slamming Inuyasha against a wall.

Inuyasha grasped futilely at the hand that had snared him. "Y-you…lousy priest…."

The old man chuckled. Then he…exploded outward. Multiple limbs tore through his clothes and expanded his body outward turning it…not into a spider, but into a truly live spider web of a humanoid. In the center of the web was what remained of the priest's body, as well as its head. Shippô, hiding around a corner, watched the scene in shock and awe.

"So you're the bastard leading the Spider-heads?" Inuyasha spat.

"Heh, heh, heh," the web-man chuckled again. "I'd heard about a hanyô and a young human woman traveling together, both possessed of magical artifacts. I waited for you. And now…how fortunate for me that you arrived here just as you lost your powers!"

"Heh," Inuyasha grunted. "Even if I don't have any yôki…." He suddenly threw off the arm that held him, caught a brief perch on the wall, and hurled himself at the center of the web-monster's form. "…I can just smash a yôkai like you through brute strength!"

"Pathetic fool!" the demon shot back, and a mass of webs issued from its mouth, intercepting and swallowing the hanyô.

"Kitsune-bi!" Shippô cried, jumping into the fray from his hiding place.

Almost immediately, however, an arm dropped from a section of 'web' and grabbed the tiny fox demon, swiftly pinning him to the ground. Then all semblance of mass within the priest's body went away as it shifted, the last few tatters of cloth fluttering away, and the still-remaining head, extending from another thread-limb, extended towards Inuyasha. The face contorted as fangs grew from its mouth. It chuckled again, more inhumanly, and said, "Can your human body withstand my poison, I wonder…?" It sunk its fangs into him, between his neck and shoulder.

"Inuyasha!" Shippô cried, struggling vainly as Inuyasha writhed in torment. Finally he reached into his vest and pulled out an acorn. I hate to do this…but I can't save Inuyasha by myself…. He imbued the seed with his power and sent it flying outside….

Kagome and Nazuna sat huddled behind a rock just off the stone path leading up to the shrine. Kagome sat, her arms lying across her knees, both hands clutched around Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha…you're late….

Suddenly a small light appeared, heading towards them, from the direction of the temple. Nazuna spotted it first and alerted her companion. "Kagome, that's…!" She stared at it as it suddenly drifted close, slowing down. "…An acorn…?"

The acorn suddenly sprouted cartoonish eyes and began to make a human-like crying plea as it floated before them. Is this…a signal from Shippô…? "Something must have happened!" Kagome said aloud.

The Spider-heads brought the bag up to their master. They crawled across it, into and out of pockets. At last one emerged, holding a card in its two legs. A thread came down, grasped the card, and hoisted it up to the web's face. "And what's this…? This card…a disciple's card…while interesting, it's not of much use to me…not like this…."

"O-Oshô-sama!?" Nazuna shrieked in disbelief.

The old man's head turned to the doorway. "Nazuna…."

Kagome stood there, still clutching the sheathed Tetsusaiga, with Nazuna cowering just behind her. "Oshô-sama…" the girl muttered. "W-what is this…?"

As the web chuckled, Kagome burst out, "Coward! How dare you trick us!?"

"Kagome!" Shippô yelped from the floor. "Inuyasha is…."

She looked up and spotted him, hanging haphazardly on one of the upper limb-threads. "Ah! I-Inuyasha!" Her eyes widened in fear as she saw him, the bloodied mark on his neck, his eyes open wide but empty and unseeing. He looks…so abnormal…it can't be he's de…?

Again that inhuman chuckle from the head—which was, at least, back its human norm, with no visible fangs. "I've given him a full dose of my poison. His body is now slowly dissolving from the inside."

Kagome jumped up and began to climb the monster's web body. Annoyed, the thing cried, "You want to become my bait as well!?" He spewed another stream of web at Kagome.

As it began to swamp her, however, power pulsed and flashed out from the sword in her hands, dispelling all the webs harmlessly. Kagome even gasped in surprise.

She had not previously noticed Myôga on her shoulder up to this point, but the flea yelped, "The barrier of the Tetsusaiga has activated!"

Kagome spared just a moment for a surprised glance at Myôga before ascending the web-man with renewed vigor. "If 'Absolutely-Never-Face-Danger' Myôga is here, it must be safe!" she declared.

"…What are you implying?" Myôga demanded.

Spider-heads leapt at Kagome, but she slapped them aside. Such a good thing Mai isn't here… she thought to herself as she resumed climbing. "Hang on, I'm coming!" she barked.

The priest-head watched her climb. Again, it laughed low, and grew its fangs. Inuyasha stirred slightly. "Run…away…" he gasped out.

"I won't!" Kagome shot back as she reached him.

"Idiot…listen to me…."

"I'm not an idiot! I'd hate to run off by myself! Kain-sensei, Mai, Momo…none of them ran away when they should have! Well, I won't either!"

"No…behind you…!"

The head came in close….

And, as Kagome pulled Inuyasha off of his perch, it slammed against a blue incandescent barrier. Kagome found herself alighting upon a similar, green barrier. "This is…!" she muttered.

Nazuna scrambled aside as the figures stepped up behind her. Dressed in their Buddhist robes, carrying their bladed shakujô in their hands, were Yoshimori Sumimura and Tokine Yukimura.

The demon observed the pair of new intruders. "Ho…onmyôdôjutsushi, eh? What odd powers…but who are you?"

"Kagome-chan! Get him over here!" Tokine insisted.

"I don't think so!" The monster spewed more webs Kagome's way.

"Ketsu!" Yoshimori's kekkai blocked the spray as Kagome made her way across, struggling with Inuyasha. "Now, you next…!"

As Yoshimori readied to gesture for another barrier, Nazuna suddenly jumped up and grabbed his arm. "No! You can't! That's Oshô-sama!"

"W-what!? You crazy girl, don't…!"

This time the monster turned its attention to the distracted priest and again unleashed its web spittle. However, Tokine stepped forward and used her own kekkai to block the attack.

"What are you talking about!?" Yoshimori demanded, throwing the girl off. "That doesn't look like much of an oshô to me!"

The old man laughed again. "Yes…I never was an oshô…I preyed on these outlying villages along the more desolate borders of the great kingdoms for years…until I heard about a pair of waifs traveling with great artifacts. So I set upon this land…I killed all the inhabitants with my Spider-heads, and took the guise of a kindly old oshô so that I could lay in wait for them…with a proper servant girl to draw them in…."

Nazuna stared at the man in shock. "Y-you mean…you…."

"Yes, Nazuna…I was the one who killed your father and the other villagers…."

Screaming in rage, Nazuna started charging in to attack the demon. "No, don't!" Tokine cried in alarm. The head shot out to bite the girl, and Tokine threw herself forward, no time to determine a safe position to create a kekkai. She managed to snatch the girl out of the demon's fangs, and as it rounded on them, a blue kekkai suddenly formed around its head. The monster turned its attention back to Yoshimori.

"Oh?" The monster looked around its prison and tested how it was held. "And now that you've got me, what will you do, young onmyôdôjutsushi?"

"You kill and consume humans…and now you've invaded this land, posing as a human, killing everyone…deceiving this poor girl…all for some trinkets!?" Yoshimori's eyes flashed in anger. "A monster like you is unfit for this world! Metsu!"

There was a throbbing in the world's heartbeat, as Yoshimori's power strained against the powerful demon's life force. The demon looked around in surprise and growing fear, and finally, Yoshimori's power won out. The cube imploded, taking the head of the demon with it.

"Y-you did it, Yoshimori-kun!" Kagome exulted, as she and the recently-freed Shippô supported Inuyasha.

"Phew!" Yoshimori sighed and slumped to a seating position. "That was a tough one."

As the group sagged from relief and spent adrenaline over the harrowing experience, another figure walked softly onto the scene. The hyper-alert group noticed, and, as one body, focused on him. He stood there, dressed in red, a thin man, clean-shaven, with sharp, short, wispy black hair and coal-black eyes. "My, my," he murmured softly, bending down to inspect the unmoving corpse of the spider web…and the corpses of the Spider-heads, which had all fallen, dead, with the destruction of their master's head. "So many plans I've laid, so much I've done for this moment…and right when it seemed fate handed me my prize on a silver platter, two mice scurry in from outside and foul it all up." He hoisted up Kagome's card from the midst of the pile, then turned his attention back to the group. "You two…are the young kekkaishi who helped to stop us in Kyoto, no? Well…after all this, I suppose it's time to take matters into my own hands…."

As Tokine and Yoshimori made ready, waiting to see what this new arrival might do, he pulled a vial from his robe and poured a single drop of some substance onto the web-body at his feet. It spread like wildfire, dissolving the corpse and turning it into deadly purple fumes….

"Miasma!" Tokine cried in alarm.

Tokine and Yoshimori pulled Nazuna in close as they leapt over to Kagome, Inuyasha, and Shippô. Then Yoshimori signed and called for his kekkai, covering the four of them as the miasma washed around them.

Kalovus walked through the air towards them, just above the sea of fuming purple acid that surrounded them. "Oh…even after using so much brute force to destroy the Spider-head-king, you still can manage a barrier of this strength? You kekkaishi really are remarkable, just as the rumors say…I've sure dear Horius would love to study you." He hunkered down, staring at them from just beyond the barrier. "How long will that last, I wonder?"

"Why, you…!" Yoshimori growled. His kekkai flickered slightly.

"Focus, Yoshimori!" Tokine insisted. "There's too much miasma here…if you let your concentration waver and break the kekkai, it'll sweep over us!"

Growling, Yoshimori sat himself, Indian-style, maintaining his gesture, hand to his chest, thumb inside, with two fingers extended straight up. Tokine turned her attention back to the man outside. "You…who are you? A member of the Obsidian Star?"

"Quite obviously…and obviously, your enemy, your last. I can be patient. This miasma won't last forever, but it need only outlast you. As you've already observed, there's enough of it here that, should your young friend's kekkai fail, you'll all almost instantly be swallowed up. All I have to do is wait." He floated up to an upper rafter and sat down, facing them. He closed his eyes. "Go ahead and enjoy your last moments together. I will savor my ambitions in the meantime."

Kagome trembled as she held Inuyasha. "Is this…it? After all this time, after all the crazy adventures…we've just got to wait to die?"

Tokine put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. As she looked up in surprise at her friend, Tokine told her, "Don't worry…we'll be all right. Yoshimori will give us all the time we need. In the meantime, we'll watch, wait, and come up with a plan." She glanced down at the stricken Inuyasha. "Who is…this boy…?"

"Oh…this is Inuyasha. He's a hanyô…he's been my protector since I arrived here on Arcanus Myrror…it's a long story…."

"And he's been injected with terrible spider venom!" moaned Myôga. "Oh, if his demon powers were still active, it would be nothing, but in his human form…." Myôga folded his arms. "Well, first things first. If we don't get the venom out of his system, he'll die. I can do a little, at least. Kagome-sama, you might not want to look…."

The flea hopped up onto Inuyasha and began to suck his blood. As he siphoned it, he began to slowly balloon out, getting larger and cartoonishly larger. After lamenting the absence of her card, to help distract herself from this scene, Kagome began to explain to Tokine, as best she could, all that had befallen her since her arrival on Arcanus Myrror.

And Tokine reciprocated, explaining how Takamichi had returned just after the class left for America with word that several strange disappearances and suspicious events in the magic world suggested schemes by the Obsidian Star, and the principal had hasted to round up a counteraction group to try and head them off before they reached Kain's class—Takamichi, Rin, Mei, Kajirô, Isumi, Yoshimori, and Tokine, and while they had failed to reach them before the attack on the Gateports, they had managed to go through before they were all struck down. After uniting with Tear and Meia, they separated to try and track down the scattered class.

Minutes passed, perhaps hours…Tokine and Kagome tried to keep their spirits up by chatting, but in their mood, it was difficult, and all too often they fell into too long silences. The miasma continued to swirl around them, Kalovus remained motionless high above, and Yoshimori continued to silently maintain his kekkai, holding the danger at bay, unmoving, unwavering. Tokine spared him a glance. Amazing…his talents are so great. Although his skill is rough as always, there just doesn't seem to be a limit to his power. I'm not sure I would have had enough strength to break that demon like he did, and even after managing that, he's held this kekkai against that miasma for so long…he still envies his brother, but he might be….

Myôga had long ago fallen away, bloated nearly to Shippô's size from sucking Inuyasha's blood, and finally Inuyasha stirred slightly. "Kagome…" he muttered, half coherently.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, half-afraid.

"I'm tired…would you…let me lay in your lap?"

"E-eh? Ah…all right…."

Somewhat self-consciously, Kagome maneuvered the prone man to let his head lay across her thighs and knees. "Yes…nice…" he muttered. "You smell…nice…."

"Eh?" Kagome reddened as Tokine looked at her with interest. "B-before, you said you couldn't stand the way I smell…."

"That…was a lie…" he continued dreamily.

Kagome was afraid that her friend would bring some question or comment into that awkward moment, expanding it, but she refrained, much to Kagome's relief. Finally, an agonizing amount of time later, Yoshimori perked up. "Tokine," he gasped.

"What?" the girl replied, snapping to alertness.

"The miasma…it's receding…get ready…."

"Indeed it is," Kalovus agreed, lighting down upon a dry match of charred earth near one edge of the barrier. "You've done well to fight this long. But you've grown too weak…right?" He reached out with a hand and touched the kekkai. It dissolved slowly as the rest of the miasma around them floated up into the air around them, harmless, and Yoshimori half-collapsed forward, gasping, onto his knees.

Tokine had been waiting. "Ketsu!" she cried, throwing her kekkai spears at him.

Kalovus, however, had been equally prepared. He raised a hand and the mana of the spell broke apart, rebounding against Tokine and sending her flying.

Yoshimori came up quickly. He formed a kekkai around Kalovus. Kalovus raised his other hand and again the force of their energies clashed inside the volatile cube. Then Kalovus' force won, dispelling the barrier and staggering Yoshimori.

Kalovus dashed forward, grabbing the youth by the throat and slamming him against the wall. "Talented young man you are…still so much energy left. But not enough to threaten me…."

Shippô jumped up at the man, but Kalovus slapped him aside without even looking. Then Kagome came at him, swinging the scabbarded Tetsusaiga clumsily, and this time he turned to knock the weapon out of her hand and then take her by the throat.

"Don't struggle too much, girl," he informed her quietly. "You're the only one I really need alive here…."

"Take your hands…off her…." Inuyasha growled.

Kalovus spared him a moment's glance…and froze. As the hanyô was rising to his feet, the black seemed to be draining out of his hair. An inquisitive survey of the sky around the ruined temple revealed a soft light creeping in, driving away the night sky. "Dawn? So, that marks the end of the powerless night…damn…."

The Tetsusaiga had fallen at Inuyasha's feet. He scooped it up and drew it forth, and in a moment the power raced up its blade, transforming it into the powerful fang of destruction. Cursing, Kalovus threw his two captives aside and cupped both his hands together, seeking to gather enough power to finish the duel in a single strike….

And as soon as he had released the energy he realized that he had made the wrong choice. Inuyasha observed the energy coming towards him almost in slow motion as his superhuman abilities, including senses, returned. It's…yôki…or near enough….

"Bakuryûha!" he roared, and sliced the energy with his cutting wind. The energy was dispersed, absorbed, and returned by the backlash-based attack, hitting Kalovus before he had the chance to retreat or defend. It ripped through his body, tearing it to shreds….

A moment later, when the energy cleared, Kalovus stood there, shuddering, a terrible sight to behold—a half-human figure, humanoid in shape but disjointed and patchwork, as if he were a picture with pieces erased savagely and at random, but with no visible fluids leaking from his obvious wounds. He staggered and growled. "No…I can't die…not like this…not without…!" Then, slowly, his body began to change into light and flake away, vanishing in the atmosphere.

Left behind was a single card that floated, swaying back and forth through the air as it slowly descended. Kagome rushed forward and laid hold of her precious proof of contract, clutching it to her chest. Then she turned and stared at her young savior. "Inuyasha…."

Inuyasha swung the sword around and laid it across her shoulder. "What? Are you surprised? I finally got the bastard…now I've got my sights set on his masters, whoever they are." He glanced at Tokine and Yoshimori, who were painfully picking themselves up off the ground. "I was pretty out of it…but I guess I got it…these are friends of yours, Kagome?"

"Y-yes…I'll introduce you properly…in a moment. Appear." The Tenseiga manifested in her hands. She commanded it to heal, and a warm, comforting light washed over them all….

8-8-8

"Are you sure you'll be all right by yourself?" Kagome asked the girl.

In reply, Nazuna bowed. "Thank you for everything," she replied quite formally, then rose and smiled. "I…should be. I have people I know at this village, and I know how to work. I can't impose on any of you any more than I have. And…it's not like I can really travel with you. It's too dangerous, and…sorry…I'm still not comfortable being in the care of yôkai. Now, maybe more than ever."

"But you are convinced that not all yôkai are dangerous and violent brutes, right?" Shippô persisted. "Even though that is a good description of Inuyasha…."

Nazuna giggled as the hanyô glowered at his younger companion. "Don't worry, Shippô-chan. I know now that there are cute and harmless demons, like you." She bent down and kissed his temple.

Shippô was taken aback, although more by the kiss or by the comment it was hard to say. "I-I am not cute and harmless!" he stammered. "I'm a strong and powerful demon, too! I-I'm just nice!"

Giggling again, Nazuna waved and started away, with Kagome and Tokine cheerfully waving back.

"Thanks again for everything, Tokine-chan, Yoshimori-kun. You really saved us back there…it's comforting, having you traveling with us…."

Inuyasha snorted and turned away.

"Oh, and, of course, in the end you saved us all again, Inuyasha," Kagome assured him. "Don't be put out or jealous…."

"I'm nothing of either one," Inuyasha growled. "Can we go now?"

"Right," Yoshimori replied with a yawn. A perfect example of over-relaxed, he stood casually with his hands tucked behind his head and his staff laying behind his neck in between his elbows. "So, Kain-kun's arena double was telling everyone to gather in Orimus for the festival, right? We'll have to take it slow…we can't arrive too early, or it'll be hard to avoid being noticed…."

"Have you sent word to Kain-san yet?" Tokine queried. "It might be good to let him know you're all right…."

"Oh! I haven't. Do you think we can do that here…?"

"We can find a place. There's a decent-sized town nearby that we can visit, which should have a postal office." She glanced over at the white-haired man. "Is that all right, Inuyasha-san?" she asked sweetly.

"Ah, do whatever you want…."

And so the new party of five began their journey together….

8-8-8

Author's Note: A Feudal Fairy Tale

Ah, finished! Another story wrapped up. Each important and fun (but sometimes painful to write) side story out of the way draws us closer and closer to returning to the real important story, Kain himself. It's good to have all these important characters, but somehow writing these stories makes me appreciate just how important Kain is….

This was a third adapted Inuyasha story, this time the danger of the Spider-heads. I left it relatively intact, up to the arrival of Yoshimori and Tokine, with only the Shikkon jewel changing…everything in Inuyasha revolved around the not-present Shikkon jewel, so I have to come up with ways to adapt it. That was, of course, the reason behind Inuyasha going back to the temple in the original, so I had to come up with something else being left behind. I was struggling with it before deciding that she very well could have left her all-important card in her bag. Yes, yes, and it solved another problem I had created (Inuyasha suffering from spider venom…if Kagome had her sword, she could easily heal him). Normally she might keep it in her pocket, but in order to keep story flow going, you have to take certain liberties with small story devices.

Other things I tweaked included the moon situation…mostly just as an unnecessary accession to my own obsessive 'rightness' nature. The seemingly infinite time Kagome has in 'Inuyasha' bothers me, and although I decided to bring in the moon episode for this for several reasons, I thought that it already might have been more than a month by the time we reach this point. So, I suddenly decided that months (or, rather, lunar cycles) go 49 days here on Arcanus Myrror, so it could be as many as seven weeks now that they've been traveling together. Also, it helps me avoid the scenario more in the future without paying too much attention.

Why keep it? I just kind of liked this scenario for a 'bringing in Tokine and Yoshimori' moment—powerless Inuyasha, they need more help. I long ago decided that they would return in this story, supporting the cast in Arcanus Myrror, and serving this time as replacements to Sango and Miroku in the Inuyasha storyline worked. Again, this is normally long before those two would appear in the original series, but it's a good place for them, and it fills this part—three stories, three chapters each, each chapter a significant event and/or original anime/manga mini-storyline. It all works pretty well, I think.

Oh, and regarding an important question I, the super-correct one, pose myself about this scenario: why does Inuyasha have a day when he loses his powers when Kenjirô does not? That's something we'll get into later, after they meet….

And so now, with this party safely entrenched, we move on to finish up the hardest of the three stories…Fairy Tail, starring Nodoka Miyazaki…watch it! Or, rather, read….


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Nine: Invincible! The Might of Fairy Tail!

The group readied themselves as Kai hopped down from the rock and walked toward them. "Come now…" he intoned softly. "Are you going to renege on our deal after all this…?"

"It is true that we agreed to recover this item for you," Erza stated stoically. "However, the person who committed it into our care warned us against giving it to you. We'll have to keep it for a while."

"Is that so…?" Kai spread his hands out. "Then I suppose I'll just have to take it by force…."

"Yeah, right!" Natsu stepped forward and called flame into his hands. "I knew you were bad news from the moment I laid eyes on you. If you think you can mess with Fairy Tail, go right ahead and try."

Kai smiled as Natsu charged in. "Natsu Dragneel. Fire Dragon Slayer. Weakness: vehicles."

Kai dodged back as Natsu struck and touched him on the forehead. Suddenly Natsu's eyes opened wide….

…Because he was standing on top of a train. His stomach began to wrench his entire body in protest and he lost all his strength. He collapsed to the roof he rode on and just lay there, sick….

"W-what's Natsu doing!?" Lucy demanded, staring at the man lying helpless and moaning on the ground. "He's acting like he's motion sick, but…."

"He is motion sick," Kai explained sweetly. "Nothing is as dangerous to us as the demons we carry with us, in our own souls and minds. Natsu's is a very simple, but in his case, crippling, affliction. But while it is terrible enough to put him out of action, it is nothing compared to the demons that the rest of you carry…."

Grey stepped back and cupped his fist in his hand in preparation to cast his ice magic. Kai stepped in and cast a web over Grey's consciousness. Grey….

…Was standing before a monstrous creature that unleashed destruction all around it. The city began to burn. Grey stared in rage and terror as old memories surfaced with the beast. Then a single figure suddenly stepped in front of him and made a pose, stretching out her arms and crossing them, one palm up and one down, gathering energy. Grey recognized the woman as well, and the scene. He tried to shout, tried to interfere, but he was bound, forced to watch and unable to act as the horrifying scene replayed again before his eyes.

"G-Grey!?" Lucy gasped as he collapsed, his face an open mask of horror.

Erza called forth a pair of swords and attacked next, but again Kai dodged her strikes and unleashed his spell on her. She, too, collapsed, seeing in her mind a terrible tower, diabolical slave masters, and, perhaps worst of all, her most beloved friend transforming into a monster far more terrible than their captors….

Growling in frustration, Lucy snatched up her ring of keys and prepared to summon a spirit, but Kai intercepted her before she could call it forth, and put her in her own nightmare realm, perceiving the very worst of her early life that caused her to run away….

"That was almost too easy," Kai muttered. "Then again, it seems you were forced to use most of your energy at some point within that tower. Fortunate for me…."

Nodoka glanced around at the fallen warriors in turn, her fright very visible on her features. Kai finally turned her way. "Now, then, ojô-chan…it appears that you are too innocent to have such darkness hidden in your heart yet. But as the only one left, you are no threat…."

"H-hey!" Happy demanded angrily. "What about me!?"

Kai spared him a glance. "Oh yes. I almost forgot about the cat. You, also, are too empty-headed to have any true concerns buried in your psyche…."

"W-what!? Grr…take this!" Happy, wings fully unfurled, raced towards Kai, who simply gestured. Happy hit a magic shield and was violently repelled, causing him to hit the ground hard and lay there, quite stunned.

"Now…." Kai turned back to Nodoka. "I have nothing against you, but you are too dangerous to be allowed to remain. It is a pity…I hate to kill you, but the Cosmo Entelecheia, the 'Perfect World', is not yet ready." He raised a hand and energy began to glow in his hand. "Farewell…."

What do I do? What do I do? W-what do I do? Nodoka thought in panic. Kai lunged at her, and she dodged aside, with a quickness that surprised the man.

"Eh? You want to learn…about enhancement magic?" Lucy asked, surprised. "Wow…that's some really intense stuff…."

"It's a good idea," Erza commented. "If you want to be more useful in battle…or simply want to protect yourself…it's a handy technique."

"Provided you have the skill for it…" Lucy sighed. "I never could get the hang of something like that. Channeling mana into an object is about all I can do."

"No, I think Nodoka-chan can do it," Grey insisted. "That card of hers is a natural enhancement tool, so if she's used it any, she'll have a leg up. And from that contract, she'll have power to draw on for it."

"That's right," Erza agreed. "Grey, Natsu and I are all skilled at enhancement-type magic boosting. We can help you learn…."

"Huh?" Natsu said around a mouthful of food. "Enhancement magic? I do?"

"Of course, Natsu's an idiot who does it by instinct…" Lucy sighed.

Kai watched Nodoka sprint around him, ducking for cover behind rocks. "So…I had heard that you were among the most very novice and unskilled in magical use and combat, but it seems that you have learned quite a bit."

"Kai-san!" Nodoka called, slipping the Reading Ear onto her ear and the Demon's Lullaby onto her finger. She had already tested her new toys out during their meal, and had a good grasp of what they were capable of and how they worked. However, as no words poured into her ear, she knew that….

"That's right," Kai agreed, noticing her hesitation, playing her hide and seek game among the rocks. "My name 'Kai' is simply an alias. You must have a true name to use your Diarium Ejus…."

Then Nodoka popped up and pointed the Demon's Lullaby his direction. "What is your name!?" she demanded.

Kai's eyes widened. "What!? That is…."

She read the name Koltas Corai and repeated it aloud. Then, as she ducked back behind the rocks, the words of Kai's frantic thought processes began to fill her ear, read to her directly from her book. That artifact…she must have found it inside as well! Curse the girl…she's cleverer than I thought….

"Koltas-san!" Nodoka called out. "H-how would you escape this situation?"

Clever girl…no matter how hard one tries, all thoughts are focused on the events and words around him. One girl with some enhanced strength isn't much of a threat and doesn't have much power…but with the Always One and a contract card in her possession, she could at least keep that enhancement up indefinitely, which is troublesome. Furthermore, my powers are in mental manipulation and foreknowledge. My own martial magic skills, while more than enough to deal with a magic novice, are not so pronounced. Still, it's difficult to see a weak girl getting out of this in anyway, save by abandoning her friends and running….

Nodoka gritted her teeth. Is there really…nothing I can do…?

The game of cat-and-mouse continued for some time, as Koltas was constantly outmaneuvered by Nodoka's mind-reading. The man was either too honorable to try to flush the girl out of hiding by threatening her comatose friends, or he was actually afraid of turning his attention away from the girl.

From his thoughts, Nodoka was able to verify that he was a member of the Obsidian Star, but got very little more out of him, as he was quite adept at corralling his thoughts even as they wandered into dangerous areas. Still, she knew that time was her ally…as Koltas also noted fearfully, the longer she escaped him, the closer the expiration of his enchantments on her friends grew.

And then a shadowy form suddenly rose up in front of Nodoka. She had just a moment to stare up at it shock before it acted. It was large, almost amorphous, light purple in shade with red markings, almost like tattoos, over it, and no other visible features, until its tentacles writhed out and wrapped out the girl. Nodoka gasped in pain and shock as she was lifted from the ground, constricted to the point of asphyxiation.

Koltas stared in surprise in a moment, then turned his gaze further up and off to the right. "Nagi…" he muttered.

The boy stood there in the air, his smirk, his ice-blue hair and pink eyes, his white collared shirt and grey slacks just as Nodoka remembered from the brief encounter back at the Gateport. "My, my," he cooed. "Really, Corai, so much trouble over one little girl?"

"Forgive me," Koltas muttered. "Her tenacity took me by surprise."

Nagi's smile deepened and he glanced over at the girl. "It's really a shame…even without training, a power like that is simply too dangerous. She's a cute little thing, but we can't leave her…or any of her friends." He snapped his fingers and the Always One stone that Nodoka carried flared to life. It rose from Nodoka's pocket and came to Nagi. "And so…this is the last one. Kalovus got us the other two. The plan can go forward in motion. I'll take this away…use my pet and take care of the rest of these trouble spots, would you, Corai?" And Nagi vanished.

Koltas sighed and looked mournfully over at the captive Nodoka. "How arrogant and dreadful," he muttered. "Leaving this distasteful final task to me…. Well, it appears I have no choice. Consume her—I will deal with these other four…."

He began to walk toward the four prone Fairies, his hand beginning to glow with energy again. As Nodoka stared in fear—having little other choice—a gruff voice suddenly cut in, "Oi, oi…deal with them, you say? That would be inconvenient to us…."

A steel blade slashed through the black creature, dropping Nodoka roughly to the ground. She turned to gaze at her rescuer. He was both tall and large, muscular, with the build of a football linebacker. His skin was dark, and his long ragged hair even darker. His eyes were a rather dull red, almost brown, and the hawkish features of his face were made even more threatening by the six studs in the bridge of his nose and the six over his (almost nonexistent) eyebrows. He wore a sleeveless tunic, revealing the black Fairy Tail mark on his left shoulder.

As Koltas turned in shock, a surge of water suddenly swept past the newcomer and blasted harshly towards him. He dodged aside, rolling, and came up to see the water coalesce and form into a woman…a very angry woman, dressed predominantly in blue, with short blue hair. "I won't let you touch Grey-sama!"

Koltas retreated back and stared at them. Blackness trickled away from the pair, towards Koltas, and formed just in front of him as the red-marked monstrosity from before. "So…the two new members of Fairy Tail, Gajeel Redfox and Juvia Lockser…?" He sighed once more. "Nothing awaits me in the future before me…." He opened his hands and let power gather in them. "But I have no choice. This is my only recourse as a minion of the Obsidian Star…."

Gajeel and Juvia set themselves in preparation. "Don't go crazy here, Juvia. This guy seems weak, but he's put down Salamander and the rest, plus that thing…."

"Yes, Gajeel-kun…it looked like you killed that beast, but it just reformed." She let her limbs dissolve into churning water. "Still, we cannot back down after they hurt our comrades. I will not forgive them for hurting my precious Grey-sama!"

"I couldn't care less about that," Gajeel snorted. "But it really means we're facing a worthwhile fight! Iron Dragon's Roar!"

Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer, actually spewed forth a stream of razor-sharp shards of metal towards the pair. The creature flowed down and darted forward under the attack, and Koltas rolled aside to avoid it.

The creature came towards him, but Juvia moved to intercept it. "Water Cane!" Her arms, as long streams of water, lashed out repeatedly like whips, driving it back. Koltas flashed behind Gajeel, but the larger man was ready for him. His own arm transformed into a steel maul that shot forwards, stretching seamlessly towards the foe.

Koltas managed to dodge aside, the attack just glancing across his right shoulder, but the blow was enough to throw him backward. He finally arose, clutching his arm, which was bent awkwardly. "Ouch. That hurts. You're pretty frightening, you know…." There was a light that swelled over his arm, then it snapped oddly back to normal. "I'm just not cut out for something like this…."

The summoned creature backed away from Juvia's attacks, then set itself and extended its own tentacles. They crawled along the ground and wrapped around Juvia. Her form became more distinctly water as they attempted to wrap around it. "Foolish creature," Juvia said with a smile. "Juvia's body is water…she can't be harmed by…." Then blackness flowed out of the tentacles, coating Juvia's liquid form in a kind of viscous shadow. Juvia screamed in pain.

Gajeel turned to the sound in surprise, and Koltas struck. The invisible shock of his mental javelin would nonetheless be illustrated in the manga or anime production, but despite its lack of appearance its effect was clearly evident. Gajeel rocked and sunk to his knees, shivering slightly. "W-what's this…? M-my body…won't move…."

"Using magic to enforce mental domination isn't as easy as some people think it is," Koltas muttered. "But that distraction helped…now I just have to hold you…."

Then a blast of flame nearly engulfed him, and he was forced backwards. Gajeel dropped panting onto his hands as Natsu stepped forward.

A blade came down, cutting through the blackness gripping Juvia. A flash of ice washed over the retreating black monster, and Erza and Grey stepped up next to the rain woman. Juvia's eyes shown as she recovered. "Grey-sama…you came to rescue me!" she announced, almost pointedly ignoring her other rescuer.

"I didn't ask for your help, Salamander," Gajeel growled to the other Dragon Slayer.

"And we didn't really ask for yours, either," Lucy said. "But it looks like we're gonna have to work together here…."

Koltas rose and dusted himself off. He glanced at Natsu, Gajeel, and Lucy, and then over at Juvia, Erza, and Grey, who, with their combined powers, had finally dealt enough damage to finish off the shadow creature. He sighed. Damn that Nagi. Leaving me here, to deal with this…going back now is impossible. There is only way left to handle this situation….

Happy, recovered, flew over to Nodoka. "Are you all right?" he asked her.

"Y-yes…but…that man…."

"Ah, don't worry! With Juvia and Gajeel here, he'll be easy to beat…."

"No, but…!"

"Well, my dear Fairies…I guess this is the end. Death awaits either all of you…or me." Blackness began to engulf him and he rose up into the air.

"Bring it on!" Natsu declared, but Nodoka pushed forward.

"W-wait! Corai-san! You don't have to do this!"

Koltas glanced over and met her eyes. Ojo-chan…are you sympathizing with me? It is wasted…despite how I look, we are different species, too different to resolve our differences amicably here….

Then, finally, a globe of darkness obscured him, enlarged, and then finally faded. Left behind was a creature, about ten feet tall, with very long limbs and legs, and thorny chitinous armor covering its body. Its large claws, on feet and hands, each with only a thumb-like appendage and two more besides. A long, sinewy tail with a barbed, club-like tip curled on the ground around him.

"Now…this is the final form of a kin of the Obsidian Star, one of their bloodline. This will be an entirely different battle. Behold…."

He raised up one claw and a host of shadows arose around him, finally forming into a host of demonic creatures of varying shapes and sizes. "Now, face Coratalcus, of the Black Host!"

"All the better!" Natsu enthused. "Let's go!"

He leapt at the monster Coratalcus, and the host leapt up to intercept him. The other members of Fairy Tail, however, jumped in to intercept the attackers, leaving Natsu to fight their commander.

Natsu encircled his feet with flame and lashed out with "Fire Dragon's Talon!" Coratalcus dodged back, but Natsu pressed in. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" connected with the creature's face.

It staggered backwards a few steps and made a rather human gesture of wiping its 'lip' with its wrist. "Truly impressive. You didn't seem to have any power left when you came out of the tower…it was obvious you'd been involved in some great battle. And yet you still have this much strength…."

"So what?" Natsu barked. "Are you going to talk, with a big form like that, or are you going to fight?"

He charged in again, but Coratalcus' tail came whipping around from the side and clubbed him, sending him flying. Even as Natsu sailed away, a black appendage sprouted from the monster's ribs and snaked out, grabbed Natsu and slammed him into the ground. "No. This form isn't for talking…or for fighting. This form…is for killing."

The appendage from Coratalcus' ribs retracted back, disappearing into the monster's flesh, and two more arms emerged from the back of its shoulders, curling around at angles. The ends developed into glinting points, which then stretched out to spear the man on the ground.

Natsu dodged aside and leapt back up into the air, breathing in a lungful. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He breathed out a stream of fire.

"Is this really the flame of a Dragon Slayer?" Coratalcus taunted, batting the fire aside. "This heat is nothing…." Once again the tail came around and swatted Natsu down like a fly.

"Natsu's in trouble!" Happy confided to Nodoka from the spectators' corner. "He did us up too much energy in the fight before. He needs help…."

But help wasn't coming from their other companions. Erza, Grey, Gajeel, Juvia, and Lucy (with her most faithful spirit companion, Loki, summoned) seemed to be handling the other monsters well enough, but more were coming in all the time…faster, it seemed, than they could kill them.

"Natsu's used so much energy," Happy continued to whine. "If he had some fire around he could eat, he could get his strength back, but right now…."

One down, Nodoka heard in Corai's slightly-distorted thoughts as the monster lifted a semi-limp Natsu up, one hand clutched around the top of his head. Channeling in this much of the Obsidian Star directly into this plane is costly…but even with the Fairies in this state, it's necessary. I must try to finish this quickly to have any hope of returning to my previous level of humanity….

As if the heat of battle wasn't intense enough already….

A barrage of varying magical attacks suddenly collided with the monster. Vines, playing cards, smoke, even three-dimensional words all came in together, forcing Coratalcus to drop Natsu and stagger backward. It gazed up at the combined might of Fairy Tail.

Watabe was there, smoke pouring from the pipe he always had in his mouth. The smoke stretched around, as nimble and directed as Coratalcus' prehensile tail. Cana drew out a handful of cards, which she enchanted and hurled. Elfman transformed into a large, green-skinned ogre and threw himself into combat with the monster. Jet of Shadow Gear dashed in, moving at super speed, and ran circles around the creature. Droy, his partner, threw out some seeds and gestured; instantly the seeds transformed into vines that snaked out to attack the opponent. Two younger mages, a man and woman, both dressed in rather Western-style clothing, fired magical guns, twin pistols and a rifle, respectively.

Macau stepped forward and threw out purple-colored flames at Natsu, calling out his name. Levy wrote 'Fire' into the air with a magic pen, and those words took shape and then caught fire and she threw this, too, at the Salamander.

Natsu took hold of the flames and stuffed them rapidly into his mouth. The strange magics disappeared inside him without any sign of harming him; indeed, Natsu really did seem energized by consuming the magical fire. "Thanks, you guys! Now I've got a fire in my belly!"

Coratalcus stoically took on the attacks from the Fairy Horde and repelled them. His shadowy appendages as well as shadowy missiles he conjured deflected and countered against all of the attacks. "So, now I am forced to face an entire mage guild? Come, then! Show me what you have!"

"We aren't just any mage guild!" Natsu cried, leaping back into the forefront of the battle. "We are Fairy Tail! We're the number one guild of Fiore, and we won't let anyone mess with our comrades!"

The rest of Fairy Tail mages backed off from the battle with the larger demon, instead focusing on helping Erza and the rest destroy the smaller minions, until the horde began to slow and finally died. When they finally finished, gasping and drained to a man, still they watched Natsu battling the demon, throwing out his entire repertoire of fire-based attacks.

Why must I fight a guild like this? Nodoka heard Koltas' plaintive voice. Why do I have to fight someone this strong?

Why did I have to be born chained to this darkness? Why couldn't my destiny to have been born with these…amongst such a family…?

My brothers and I had no choice all our lives but to serve the Star that gave us birth, even after its fall. That chain of destiny granted us all great powers, magic others would lust after…and yet I would wish for nothing more than to have been free, unchained by this burden of destiny, with a blank and frightening future before me….

I would have wished to be weak, but, perhaps, I truly was weak…perhaps I was simply too weak and afraid to ever fight against the fate I was born to. And now, perhaps, this is my punishment for that weakness….

One final 'Fire Dragon's Iron Fist' burst through Coratalcus' defenses and then through its chest. The monster quivered and went still, and, as Natsu withdrew his hand and pulled back, it collapsed powerlessly to the ground and lay there. Finally the darkness drained away from the body, and it disintegrated down until the form of Koltas Corai remained.

"You did well," he breathed in a barely-audible whisper. "Your tenacity has won this day, Salamander. And yet I weep for you…you may come to rue your victory, that you will live to see the darkness that comes…you may cry out in anguish that you did not die here, so great will be the pain you have yet to see….

"And yet…I wish you the best…. Take care of your little lady. If there is any hope…for you and your kind…it is found with her…and her little man…."

As he gasped out his last words, his own body began to disintegrate into black ash that started to blow away like sand before evaporating into the air. Finally there was no sign left that the man had ever been there, save for a large stain of blood on the ground.

Natsu stared at it for a moment, digesting what he had heard. Then, apparently, he decided that it was all far over his head, as he pumped a fist up and jumped into the air. "I won!" he screeched—and then he toppled over, still in his victory pose, unconscious, as the group rushed in to see to him.

8-8-8

It is now some time later.

The guild was recovering in an inn in the nearest town…and, naturally, turning it into their own wild territory for the night. It would probably be expensive come morning, but, Makarov observed dourly, he was used to it.

Natsu was wrapped up in bandages like a mummy, such was the extent of his wounds. For all its magic, Fairy Tail lacked a dedicated, powerful magic healer, and so the recovery of its injured members was never a swift and painless process.

"Look at you," Gajeel taunted the man. "One little fight and you're beat up like that? You're really pathetic, Salamander."

"Mmmfff mrrrff mmff mrrrf mmmmmffr!" Natsu shot back.

"Oh, really?" Gajeel breathed, leaning in close. "You wanna back up those words? I won't go easy on you, just because you're an invalid."

"How can he understand him?" Lucy sighed, not for the first time.

"The power of Idiot language, maybe?" Happy offered.

"Why did you all come?" Erza asked the master, ignoring the fight behind her as Grey and Juvia attempted to prevent it from firing off.

"Hmm?" Makarov looked up at her. He sat on the bar of the establishment, Indian-style, his arms crossed, and, until Erza had addressed him, he had had his eyes closed and head down as if in apparent meditation. "What do you mean?"

"Well, of course you knew where we were since it was an official request," Erza pointed out. "However, you arrived in the nick of time to save us, with nearly the entire guild—everyone who was available, at least. How on earth did you even know that we were in trouble?"

Nodoka and Lucy, catching this part of the conversation, sidled over to hear more details for themselves. "Well, funny thing, that," Makarov replied conversationally, stroking at his chin. "It wasn't too long after you left. We were visited by a strange man. He was…suspicious…he was very well-informed, for instance, about our newest little member, and about your activities, but most importantly, he warned us that our employer, the man we knew as 'Kai', was not to be trusted, and was planning on causing all of your deaths.

"Naturally, trusting this man was not a simple manner, but Cana sobered up enough to do a reading and, although the details seemed blocked for her, much of what she could gather seemed to support the man's statements. So we came to support you, and arrived just in time…just as the man had said."

"This man…knew about me?" Nodoka asked in wonder.

"Yes…all about you. He even named you as 'Miyazaki Nodoka, disciple of Kain Lockeheart'." Makarov glanced askew at her. "A strange man…some white-and-green-striped hat and clogs, as well as a cheap robe…."

"So is he an ally, or does he have plans of his own?" Grey demanded, joining the conversation. "Kalan Lockeheart had a great number of friends and supporters, some of whom were more secretive than others. It seems that Kai guy was part of the Obsidian Star, and probably only a true foe or true ally would know that much about Kain Lockeheart."

"And since he helped us against the Obsidian Star, it's unlikely he's part of the same group," Erza agreed. "Still, it doesn't completely answer the question of whether he's truly trustworthy or not. What happened to him?"

"He wandered off after leaving his message," Makarov said. "'Well, I've given you my warning, which is all I can do, so I'll be going,' he said."

"Jeez…how scary this is," Lucy sighed. "Well, we're on our way to the grand celebration in Orimus, huh? I guess these next couple months aren't going to be that dull…."

Nodoka digested this information quietly. The man in question sounded familiar from some of the (few) stories that Kamo had told about Kalan's adventures in the last war, but she couldn't be sure. However, she did know that all of Kai's thoughts and comments suggested that she—or, rather, her Diarium Ejus—was considered a great threat by the Obsidian Star. They would never let her go if they could help it….

Still, she had found herself amongst a loyal and stalwart group of new friends. In many ways, in spite of the danger, it was all she could have hoped for. Now, if only she had Yue…and Kain….

8-8-8

The man observed the festive inn and listened to the noises from the energetic guild from the mouth of a narrow, dark alley. One hand lightly lifted brim of his green-and-white-striped hat and he looked out from underneath it, a small smile on his face. "Well," he chuckled. "It seems they handled it well enough. A small victory for our side." He turned to the smaller but bulky figure next to him. "I'm surprised you made such a bold, outgoing move yourself…."

The shadowed figure was tiny, a young girl no more than ten years old, and resting in a large, ornate white wheelchair. Another figure stood behind her, completely covered in the shadow, her hands on the chair's push handles. Still, while the voice that emerged was young, there was an undeniable sense of maturity and wisdom underlining the voice. "Normally I don't like to get involved, but there are extenuating circumstances now. That girl is very precious to one that has recently come under my charge…I had to protect her."

The man chuckled. "Yes, I understand." He dropped the hand on his head and brought his other up to his eyes. Between his fingers he held a white pin, stylized in the shape of a wing. "You sure you don't want to give this back to her?"

"Right now, it's of far more use in your hands. Besides, she's safer if I keep her where she is, hidden. Can I contact you if I need anything else?"

"Of course. I prefer being but a humble shopkeeper, but sometimes I enjoy taking requests from the influential and powerful…such as the Master of the HiME Garden, Garderobe Academy." He smiled from under his hat at the girl.

She smiled sweetly back and him. Taking up his cane, the man turned and disappeared into the darkness, his square clogs making a distinctive clop-clop upon the cobbles. Then, girl and attendant both vanished.

8-8-8

Author's Note: Wrapping It All Up

A rather short chapter, especially for a combat piece. Again, since I'm inventing this portion entirely, it's rather harder to do. Plus, I've done so much in this Part already, I'm ready to wrap it up. So, there remains one chapter, to return (briefly) to the main party, and then that's the finish of Part Nine. Then, on to Part Ten!

As such, there's not a lot more to say about this one. I've already mentioned Fairy Tail in pretty good detail. Nodoka hasn't changed much. The third villain has been defeated, but….

Oh, but Nagi got the artifact…which means plans are moving forward…ah, so much lying underneath….

I can at least briefly touch upon Gajeel and Juvia, although they aren't important enough to give pictures and full bios on. Originally part of the Phantom Lord guild, they battled Fairy Tail in the battle between the two guilds, but after Phantom Lord's defeat and subsequent disbanding with their master Jose's arrest, Gajeel and Juvia eventually made their way to Fairy Tail. Juvia went because, while battling Grey, she had inexplicably fallen in love with him, and dragged 'Gajeel-kun' with her because he was a loner and she felt sorry for him. For his part, Gajeel was a bad dude with little concern even for his 'friends', but he needed a guild to get jobs, and Makarov hired him for a special undercover job. He's still a mostly bad dude, but, in the mold of Shonen characters such as Piccolo, Vegeta, Sesshomaru and others, he ends up with a strange mutual attraction to Levy (upsetting Shadow Gear's dynamic), and ends up learning about friendship because of the guild. Yeah, standard Shonen stuff.

Oh well, let's get this party wrapped up fully! Final chapter, ho!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Ten: Judgment! Towards the Day of Reckoning!

The blast of fire engulfed the two mercenaries, and then the subsequent follow-up explosion sent them flying. Lina slapped her hands together. "Well, that's that!" she stated, flashing a victory sign for the camera. "It seems my powers are now officially fully back. From this point on, things will go a lot easier for us."

"They won't go any easier if you cause such a fuss with those destructive spells every time someone comes after us," Zelgadis reproached her dourly. "We're supposed to be keeping a low profile, remember?"

"Oh, don't worry about it! You can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs, and if guys keep finding us, we have to get rid of 'em, right? At least they aren't more agents of the Obsidian Star…."

"Personally, I'd prefer that," Zelgadis said with a sigh. "But it seems they're lying low themselves..."

"Probably saving their strength for the big confrontation. Kain hasn't exactly made a secret of his plans, after all…."

"Well, if he's Lina's friend, I guess you'd expect him to be crazy like that," Gourry remarked.

Lina shot daggers at him, then turned back to the road ahead. "Ah, well. Time to continue on. The meeting place: Orimus! Let's go!"

With Xellos occasionally popping in behind them, chuckling, the three continued on towards their destination.

8-8-8

"So what's this 'Kain' guy really like?" Shippô demanded of Kagome.

Kagome glanced at the fox kit on her shoulder and then looked up, a finger on her chin. "Well, let's see…he's my age, but he's a genius wizard. He's a gentleman, who knows how to treat girls…maybe a little too well. He's very thoughtful, although it's possible he thinks too much…."

"Huh. Sounds like the exact opposite of Inuyasha."

The dog-demon shot a glare back over his shoulder, then turned his eyes back ahead. Yoshimori sighed and Tokine giggled at this exchange. "Well, I can't say too much about him because I've only met him (relatively) briefly, but he's already made himself a little bit famous in our circle. However…he seems to be fine, but what your other friends, Kagome-chan? Mai-san, and Momo-chan, and the rest?"

"I really don't know," Kagome replied, a bit subdued. "I…hope they're all right. I sometimes think…I don't worry about them enough…I've had so many of my own troubles, I haven't even had time to consider how they are doing. Mai…and Momo…they're probably okay, but…."

"What good will worrying about them do?" Inuyasha snorted suddenly, drawing looks of surprise from his assembled comrades. "They're your friends, right? Sure, they might be in trouble, but since there's nothing you can do to help them, it's pointless to just worry about it. Your 'Kain-sensei' broadcasted that message out for you and all his 'students', right? All you can do is believe in them to meet you at Orimus. And if we hear anything along the way, about any of your friends, we'll check it out, all right?"

Kagome stared at him for a moment before smiling slightly. "Yes…thank you, Inuyasha."

"Wow, I guess he's not a completely insensitive moron," Shippô declared, breaking the mood and quickly eliciting a strike on his head from Inuyasha.

Yoshimori sighed again. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" he muttered.

And so the menagerie continued on, doing its best to be a happy little family….

8-8-8

"A tournament in celebration of the end of the war twenty years ago…." Natsu muttered, staring at the bulletin. "So, that's where this Kain guy is going to meet you?"

"Y-yes…."

"I want in!" Natsu began to whine loudly. "A tournament like this!? Why didn't I hear anything about this before!? This is going to be some of the strongest fighters in the entire world!

"I want in I want in I want in I want in I want in I want in!" Natsu continued, rolling around on the ground in a tantrum.

"Ease up!" Grey growled, kicking the side of Natsu's face and halting his violent expressions. "You're just causing problems. Why do you think someone like you could do anything in a tournament like that anyway?"

"You got something to say about it?" Natsu shot back, rising to the challenge. "Who's the guy who's had to save your butt so many times already?"

"All right," Grey said, his shirt off, cracking his knuckles. "If you're so ready for this tournament, why don't you prove it to me?"

"You're on!"

"There they go again," Lucy sighed, not even bothering to scold Grey for his exhibitionism. "Every time they find a reason…."

Erza was also, unusually, ignoring their escapades. Instead, she was lost in thought. "Yes…the tournament…Nodoka-chan, is your Kain-sensei someone who commonly enters tournaments like this?"

"Eh? W-well…not really….I mean, he entered the Mahora Festival tournament, but he was pushed by Kenjirô-kun, and then he was inspired because of his father…he really doesn't like to fight all that much…."

"I thought so…" Erza murmured.

"Something on your mind, Erza?" Lucy queried.

"There's something else behind this tournament, I think. Obviously Kain Lockeheart is using the national exposure of his tournament to reach out to his students—Nodoka-chan's friends—but I think there's more to it than that." She suddenly reached out an arm to almost absent-mindedly lariat Natsu. She glanced down at im with a small smile. "All right, Natsu…since you're so eager…why don't we work on entering you into this tournament?"

"Uh oh," Happy sighed. "I don't think this is going to end well…."

8-8-8

"And he's done it once again! Even without his partner, Tanabi Kôjirô has won his seventh straight match alone, fighting two-on-one this entire time! He seems well on the way to fulfilling the boast of his comrade-in-arms, Kalan Lockeheart, and fighting his way all the way to the tournament in Orimus!"

Kenjirô walked on his own into the tunnel, ignoring the rest of the commentator's declarations and acknowledgements. He glanced up as Yukari appeared out of the shadows, a towel in her hands. "Here," she offered simply.

"Thanks," he replied, taking it and wiping off his face.

"Are they…getting more difficult?" Yukari asked carefully.

"A little." He smiled grimly. "They're getting tougher every day, as we approach the final rounds of this league and the opportunity to enter the Memorial Tournament at Orimus. This kind of thing is what I live for, after all." His expression softened and he looked at her. "How's our other plan going?"

"Pretty well!" Yukari said, mustering up the enthusiasm for it. "Well…we've heard from almost everyone…the only ones who haven't sent us letters are Ayase-san, Hinamori-san, and Sendô-fukukaichô…."

Kenjirô considered this. "Sendô…Hinamori…and that Yue-san, eh? Well…those two, at least, will be fine. Yue-san…she's a novice mage, but she's got guts. We've just got to have faith…." He gave her a confident smile. "Still, it must have been good to hear from Yoshida-san, ne?"

"Y-yeah…" Yukari agreed weakly. She was, indeed, grateful to have heard from her best friend…still, the thought that any of her classmates could be lost…really lost….

And then to her surprise Kenjirô threw his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry," he growled softly. "They'll be all right. You will be all right. Kain will make sure of that, you know…he isn't going to let anything happen to any of his students. And we're going to get you out of this, too. We will."

"R-right," Yukari replied, mollified. Then, far more softly, she muttered, "Coming from you…I can believe it…."

"Hmm?" Kenjirô glanced down at her. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing!" she declared, pushing out of his grasp. "I've got to return to my duties, before Mama comes looking for me."

Kenjirô watched her go and sighed. "She seems so moody. Not that I can blame her. This situation we're all in…it's rough, to be sure…."

The waiting is the worst part. Time…is both friend and foe, I guess. We need time to get this plan working, and it helps that we have to get everyone gathered together. Still, other than the bounties on us, things have gone…almost too smoothly. What is the Obsidian Star up to right now, while we're battling to get stronger…? When we meet again…will Kain and I really be ready for whatever they have planned…?

Kain darted forward, offering a few feinting jabs with alternating hands to force Aiden back. He then swept his foot out in a quick low kick, but Aiden stepped forward, batting the attack away by stopping Kain's shin with his own. He then pressed forward on his own, making a half-hearted strike and grabbing Kain's arm when it came up to defend. Kain pushed back and managed to slip out of his grasp before he could manage a lock.

"Your Krav Maga isn't bad," Aiden offered conversationally as they sparred. "It seems really familiar…who was your master again?"

"Well, she was one of my students," Kain replied sheepishly. "Akari trained under five masters at her home in Yokohama…."

"Hokushinryû. McTavish, of course."

Kain was surprised by this declaration. "You know him?"

Aiden took advantage of his surprise, grabbing him and throwing him to the ground, locking his arm and pulling it back and wrapping his legs around Kain's neck. "Krav Maga isn't a common martial art," Aiden said, still very conversationally. "Especially if you're looking for a version that can actually keep up with superhuman powers. And you, Kain, need to be more cognizant of your fights…even if it's just sparring…."

"R-right," Kain gasped. Then he snaked his way out of the grasp and attempted a reverse, forcing Aiden to retreat. He rose to his feet, and Kain did the same.

"Right…jeet kune do, jujutsu, Krav Maga and more." Aiden smirked. "Well, you've got a variety of skills. Martial arts of all kinds, magical power, special techniques—I'd say you're already a more complete fighter than any of our troop."

Chisame approached, carrying a tray of drinks. She set it down on a table (a safe distance from the combatants) and stood there, leaning on it, watching them with her usual expression of boredom.

Kain shook his head. "That…that can't be. I'm still…lacking so much."

"Well, of course," Aiden retorted. "I didn't say you were perfect. I can see exactly what you're lacking…and while it's small, it's also very big." He jerked his head towards the girl and her refreshments and started that direction

Kain's attention was riveted to the man, even as he followed him, so Aiden continued, "The biggest problem is your 'Reverse Kanka'. It's a pretty incredible technique; even more impressive than Gato's original version, of course. The problem is, of course, that your body just can't handle that much power channeling through you. Unless you can find a way to toughen your body up to the point where you can stand that technique."

Yeah, that's pretty clear, Chisame thought. Every time I've seen him use that crazy technique he's about ruined his body. This nonsense can't possibly be healthy, right? Of course, I can't believe any of this nonsense crazy-power world they're involved in can be good for anything….

"And what's the second?" Kain asked, although he was pretty certain he knew the answer.

"You don't have it up here," Aiden said, pointing to the side of his head with one hand as he picked up a glass with the other. After taking a long drink, he said, "I'm not talking about smarts, of course. You're brilliant—more analytical than any fighter I've ever seen, maybe not as smart as your dad in instinctive smarts, but you're even better of a scientist. Probably because…." He trailed off and shook his head. "No, never mind. What's important is that you don't have the switch in your head that lets you just fight without worries. Well, I guess you have it…you switched it on during your fight with Byakuya, for instance. But it took you too long before you got it. Against anyone trying to wipe you out immediately—Byakuya really wasn't trying—you would have been completely dead.

"If you really want to know what separates you and your dad, it's that killer instinct. Your dad had it to a rather frightening degree…even as just a kid, he could fight and kill as if it didn't matter at all, and he never let anything faze him. He scared the hell out of me, I'll tell you that." He chuckled. "Well, that aside, I'd say you're just about strong enough now. You just need that razor edge to your game…."

"Is that really all?" Chisame demanded. "Before…I was there at that battle at the Gateport. No offense, but Kain-sensei didn't seem to be able to match up with those guys at all…."

"Hmm…well, let me put it like this." Aiden fetched a rolling chalkboard and chalk and began to write. "It's easiest if we express people's strength as numbers…a kind of Power Level…."

"What is Kain-sensei, a Shonen Jump character?"

She was startled when Aiden continued, "We'll use Miss Chisame here, a young girl who can't really use magic or ki, as the base. She's a Power Level of '1'. Now…a cat would be about .25 or so…a basic, normal magic-using human would be about two. Old-world 'master' martial artists—ones who can't use ki at all, not like your girl Akari's masters—are around 7 to 50 or so. A graduate magical fighter rates about 100….

"An M1A1 Abrams is 200. Three hundred is your standard level magical Mahora teacher or magical knight over here. You rate about a 500 normally. The weaker dragon species of Arcanus Myrror—those that don't have any magical ability, not the regular species and certainly not the true 'dragon race'—are 650 or more. An Aegis cruiser is 1500—here we're jumping levels. Your friend Takamichi's been fighting and improving, and I'd estimate him at around 2000 now, although that might not be his true power. And a captain-class Soul Reaper like Byakuya rates at 3000 or perhaps more. And a true demon nobility, like your Alyssa would be with her power unsealed, is about 8000 or so if she really lets loose. Ah…and that kid Eminus Kamo told me about…he's probably around a 3000 as well. So that's the level that you're looking at."

Chisame stared at the chart he'd written. Oi, oi…what a senseless chart…where do I even begin? You mean most of our teachers are really stronger than tanks…? And a missile cruiser….

"Of course, this chart isn't perfect," Aiden said. "Really…it's just the measure of your general physical abilities. Most of the people on this list can greatly increase their power as well, at least two or three times. Tanks and cruisers won't, because they're just machines…taking out a tank would be nothing for you, and by powering up you could even take a warship pretty easily."

"C-could I really?" Kain asked, awed by this inrush of information.

Yeah, right. Who would seriously try to fight a battle cruiser, anyway? Chisame grumbled to herself.

"Of course. With your version of kanka, I'd say you could easily raise your power up ten times or more. At full power, you're probably strong enough to fight with Byakuya, Eminus, or anyone here. But as I said before, you've got those two problems holding you back."

"I see," Kain murmured. "So…what do I need to do to get rid of those problems?"

"You might not be able to," Aiden said simply. "You might just have to live with it."

The two youths stared at him. Chisame spoke for Kain. "That's it!? After all this, promising to train him, you're just going to tell him to give up!? That doesn't fly!"

Aiden shrugged. "I just tell it straight. While Kain's still young and certainly has room for growth, his current abilities are strong enough to compete with the best…but only if he can use them at will and maintain them long enough. It's his body and will that are holding him back, and I can't really do anything about that."

"His will!? Look, I don't know much about this fighting stuff, but I've seen Kain-sensei fight! I've seen his conviction. He's laid his life on the line to protect us, his students, and everything!"

"Please, Chisame…" Kain begged pitifully, attempting to calm the girl.

Aiden looked her dead in the eyes and smiled at her. "Really? I don't doubt it. But even that conviction might not be enough. Willing to bet your life on your power…all well and good. What about someone else's life?"

Chisame recoiled at his deadly look. "W-what?"

Suddenly Aiden had his arm around Chisame's throat as he held her from behind and positioned her between Kain and himself. She would swear he never could have drawn it in that instant, but he also held a pistol to Chisame's temple. "So, what about it, Kain? I've got the life of your student in my hand. What's it going to be…sacrifice the girl to stop me, or sacrifice yourself to save her?"

Kain stared in absolute shock. "I-I…I don't…."

"Too late." Aiden relinquished his grip and stepped back, more politely catching and steadying Chisame as she began to collapse from the shock. She managed to turn her glare back on him, but he continued without care, "Sure, it was a surprise attack from a supposed ally, but that's kinda the point—you're too innocent, too trusting…you see the world too much in colored fog and not in the necessary black-and-white kill-or-be-killed of the warrior." He smiled grimly. "Your dad would have shot me dead before I finished my threat."

"W-what?" Chisame barked, horrified anew. "You're kidding! How could anyone be that cold-blooded!? To risk the life of a comrade…." Especially if it's mine….

Aiden laughed. "Cold-blooded? You use it like an insult. A real warrior has to be cool and rational about his foes and enemies…he can't be bottled down with fears and doubts in those kinds of situations. I've always prided myself on being rational and 'cold-blooded'. I'm pragmatic and quite proud of it…if it means saving a million lives, it makes perfect sense to sacrifice 1,000, right?"

That level of pragmatism isn't something to be proud of!

"But Kalan…he was something else. Of course, he wouldn't even sacrifice the 1,000…he'd find a way to save all 1,000,000 and those 1,000 as well."

"And yet he'd risk a hostage without a second thought?" Chisame said scathingly.

"Of course. How is it a risk? Kalan would trust his own skills over the 'mercy' of someone who would take his friends hostage…with the additional upside that there was no chance of them getting away and causing more trouble."

"Yes…that makes sense," Kain agreed. "I…think that way, too, but…I wouldn't have the courage to make that shot…."

"And that's the problem," Aiden said with a simple shrug. "Getting over that kind of gun-shyness…it might not be possible for you. That's up to you."

Kain stared silently at the ground for several moments. Chisame stared at him, awaiting his response. That's it? Really? That…okay, this crazy fantasy world is like some kind of story, right? The hero doesn't just hit a wall and say 'Sorry, that's all I can do!'

"Oi, o-san," Chisame snapped. "Is there really no way? Nothing that…well, something that can make up for whatever this is that he 'lacks'? Some sort of super-training to raise his level or something?"

Kain looked up hopefully. Aiden's glance darted between the two youths and he smiled slightly. "Well…I have one thing that can force the necessary kind of changes on you, Kain. Are you really prepared for this?"

Kain steeled himself and looked Aiden in the face. "I am. I have to do this…for myself, and for all of my students…for my father, and maybe for the entire world, to finish what he started. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Okay, then. Don't say I didn't warn you. For starters, then…you're going to have to die."

8-8-8

Author's Note: Completed…And Moving Forward.

Probably the most evil place I could have ended this…such an obscure and ominous line. However, this isn't Kain's turn yet. I'm just spotlighting him briefly while the story goes through the rest of the important party, dividing them all up between a few parts. Act 9 was the story of Lina, Kagome, and Nodoka. They've gathered allies, vanquished enemies, and started on their path to the grand meeting.

Our introduction showed Momo safe at home, but this last chapter noted that even after a month or so she hasn't been able to contact the group…the reason will become clear in the future. The other two who have yet to make contact are Erika and Yue. One of them—or her fate—has been hinted at here in a very obscure place, and the other will be featured in the next Act's introduction. Act 10 will tell the stories of Ami, Akari, Kazumi, Kiami, Mai, Hinagiku, and Hikaru. Acts 11 and 12 will finish the gathering….

With so many characters filling up 10, obviously they will have smaller segments. I'll have more cameos and/or side characters to add, although not as many (nor as significant, for the most part) as these three major mini-arcs.

So, let's stop there. Trundling along…the story continues in Act 10!


End file.
